With an Addition
by jessica.dangerfield.9
Summary: What if the crash had happened in Rose & Lissa's Freshman year? What if Dimitri had been Rose's mentor in her final year of middle-school? What if Rose had kept up her training? . . . . . Read to find out what happens to our favourite series when Rose and Lissa are returned to the Academy with an addition?
1. The not-so-easy capture

DPOV

Over two years it had taken to get to this point, to find her- to find _them_. To find Rose Hathaway and her best friend, Princess Vasilisa Dragomir.

RPOV

I awoke to check on her and make sure all was fine. Lissa's contented dream started to morph into the all-too-sinisterly-realistic nightmare. I gently shook her awake before she started screaming.

"Oh god, Rose," she cried softly into my shoulder.

"It's okay, you're not there, you're not there." Slowly, she calmed. I took in her appearance. She looked a little worse for wear. "When was-?"

"Early yesterday. I'm not hungry."

I sighed. I knew stubbornness when I saw it. I could also be the definition of it when I wanted or needed to be. "Go get a yogurt or something." I didn't need to tell her since that was the plan she was already putting into action.

"Have you checked on her yet?" asked Lissa before she walked out the bedroom door.

I nodded. "Yeah, but I haven't checked with her yet."

"She's such a sweetie."

"A handful, you mean," I called after Lissa before returning to her room.

When I spotted her sleeping form I smiled fondly, proudly. Peace was something we rarely found, but her innocence provided both Lissa and I with comfort and reassurance, yet another motivation to stay hidden. I flipped on the lamp and sat beside her on her Princess-themed bed.

"Sweetie," I called softly as I ran a hand through her long curls. She didn't stir. "Honey, you need to wake up, baby girl."

She grumbled as she turned over. I was again struck by her features, her likeness to me and yet she so freakishly resembled her father. "Momma," she complained incoherently.

"Come on, baby, time to go to the toilet," I prompted. This had been by far the weirdest stage of child-rearing I had gone through as yet. _Toilet training._ Daytimes she had nailed, but nights... they still needed work.

"But Momma!" she whined sleepily.

"You just need to try to go. I'm not dealing with a wet bed tomorrow. Now get your Princess-butt in that bathroom, little girl."

She nodded and moved to the bathroom. As she went I made the routine check. _Better, getting better._ It'd been a dry bed for ten nights now, back-to-back.

Once I pulled up the sheets I noticed the house cat come her and Lissa's unofficial pet- _Oska_ , as she pronounced- stiffen after jumping from her bed to her window sill. _Yes, my daughter slept with a cat on her bed._ I had no clue why, but animals took to her as easily as they took to Lissa- and Moroi in general. Except my daughter _wasn't_ a Moroi. She _wasn't_ a human either. _Nor_ was she a dhampir, much as she had many of the characteristics of one. If she was a dhampir Oska would avoid her as he did me. So, when I saw his tension I looked out and spotted what he saw. _No... No! This can't be happening._ I knew that silhouette, but in that moment I wished to god I didn't. For once it meant danger not safety.

Trying to control my panic yet again, I grabbed her emergency bag, returned to the room I shared with Lissa, and grabbed our bags. I barely noticed as I pulled jeans and shoes on and threw my hair in a bun.

"Done, Momma," she said sweetly as I exited the room with the bags on my shoulder. I swooped her up as I went and put slip-on closed-in shoes on her.

"Get his keys," I murmured to Lissa, hoping my daughter wouldn't register I was asking her Aunty to use compulsion.

Lissa's eyes widened and fear pulsed into me from her. She nodded and placed her absolute trust in me again as she turned to our housemate who was studying for some college math assignment. As she did, I hurriedly braided a scared-looking daughter-of-mine's hair.

We had four blocks to run. With a twenty-six month old. It wouldn't be the first time, but it certainly wasn't as easy to escape with her in tow. I wouldn't have it any other way, though.

"Stay with Aunt Lissa, and be quiet," I instructed as we stepped out the door. I knew I could outrun them both any day, but I would only ever leave them behind after I died protecting them.

I spotted our housemate's car and indicated for my girls to speed up. But that silhouette took form in front of me, we were only a tauntingly small handful of feet away when they surrounded us- when _he_ blocked us. I shoved Lissa behind me and her behind Lissa.

DPOV

Rose dropped into a crouch and I took another step forward. "Rose," I warned.

"Don't touch her," growled the dangerous Rose Hathaway.

I threw my hands up in surrender. I hated fighting with this girl- this young woman. "I don't want-" I took a half step forward. _Wrong move, Belikov._ Rose's hair was up, _you idiot, she had known she'd be fighting._

Rose attacked me with a move I hadn't thought she'd used in the whole time she'd been gone. I'd expected an easy block. Not what I got. I should've known better than to underestimate her. I had the skills and the kills on her, but I didn't have the element of surprise or the drive she was showing tonight- today, whatever time it was. It gave her the edge to pin me, and to do so surprisingly quickly.

"Concede?" she demanded with dangerous eyes. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to. Concede or I'll render all of you unconscious. _**Just. As. You. Taught. Me**_."

"Momma?" a tiny voice called. Rose's ears perked up but she didn't shift her menacing glare from me or loosen her hold. She was good, brilliant actually and I was proud of her, but she didn't have a clue how she was hurting me right now. "Yes, baby?"

"He hurt you?"

Still glaring at me, Rose shook her head. "No, baby, Momma's fine. Him, well, he may be." Damn, _she_ _ **did**_ _know! How did she_ _ **always**_ _know!_

Confused and- frankly- rather hurt, I spoke. "Fine. I concede. Now let me up, Rose."

Rose's brown eyes bored into mine before she nodded and returned to her feet and prior protective stance. When I was back on my own feet I truly noticed the little girl for the first time as she clung to Rose's leg. She was in pink, _princess_ pyjamas and looked like Rose all over again. From the nearly-black braided hair to the warm brown eyes, from tip to toe she screamed out she was Rose's.

"Rose. Don't," warned Lissa with one hand on Rose's wrist, the other gently wresting the girl away from Rose.

"Momma," pleaded her daughter.

After what felt like hours and Lissa speaking a special language without moving her mouth or looking at her friend, Rose ever-so-slightly relaxed. I took that as my cue. My attention turned to my charge and I bowed in respect.

"Princess, my name's Dimitri Belikov," _in case you forgot,_ _ **unlike**_ _**someone**_ _,_ "I've come to take you back to St Vladimir's Academy."


	2. Return Flight

DPOV

I sat next to Rose on the plane after having had her separated from her best friend. I knew those two were very close and partners in crime, even if Rose was mastermind it didn't mean Lissa didn't contribute. And there was just something so _**Rose**_ about [silently planning] trying to escape from an in-flight plane and landing in the middle of a forest. Even with a baby in tow.

"What were you thinking, Rose?" It made my heart ache when she refused to meet my gaze, choosing instead to look out the window. Silence met my question instead of her angelic voice. "Rose," I repeated, this time more warningly. "What were you thinking?"

"What about? Fighting you? Or protecting her- _them_?!" hissed Rose.

"Running," I returned softly.

I was itching to take her into my arms and comfort her. But I couldn't. For so many reasons, I couldn't. Some of those reasons hadn't stopped us before she'd taken Lissa and run, but one brutally painful one pulled me up short now. She wasn't mine. She had a child, a cute replica no-less, and that meant my claim to being with or near her was gone with that daughter.

"I can't say," she said nearly pleadingly.

"Rose..." I really hoped my begging passed her by. But that was unlikely. We'd proved time and again she saw what others didn't. This proved to be no different.

"I can't, Dimitri. For her," she nodded towards the front of the plane where a stiff Lissa was grasping a bottle of water. "For her sake and for Jenée's." Her eyes scanned the plane; she leaped from her chair and over my legs when her eyes landed on her daughter.

"Momma!" Jenée bounced in her chair and held her arms to Rose demandingly.

"Momma's Princess." Rose smiled gently as she released Jenée and pulled her up to her hip. "I guess there's someone you should meet."

"Mr 'Mitri?"

Rose's eyes widened and she nodded. "How'd you guess?"

Jenée's cute baby giggle sounded through the plane as she shrugged. "Dunno. You look at him... I dunno..." Jenée shrugged it off though her eyes betrayed how frustrated she was at not knowing how to tell her mother how she saw the world.

Rose shook her head and kissed Jenée's cheek before returning to sit beside me with Jenée on her lap. "You'll know someday, baby girl. Momma loves you, you know."

The tiny little girl beamed. "Love you, Momma." The girl's young, innocent brown eyes gazed into mine and this sudden need to protect her overwhelmed me. I hadn't felt such an intense wave of emotion upon just meeting someone since I'd first met Rose. "Mr 'Mitri?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

Rose and I locked gazes when Jenée scrunched up her face _. What had I done wrong now?_ Rose shook her head and laughed. "Relax, Jen. Dimitri's a guardian."

"Like Momma?"

"Like Momma."

"That's a stretch of the truth, Rose." An outright lie, really.

"I'm more of a guardian than you," she spat.

"You undermined me."

"You underestimated me," she shot back. We fell into an awkward silence with a little someone looking between us. I swore the look she wore was a speculative and planning one. Just like her mother's.

"Mr 'Mitri, make Momma happy," commanded Jenée with her hands on her hips.

"Now how am I to do that, miss..."

"Jenée," she giggled.

"Well then, Miss Jenée, why don't you tell me how to make your Momma happy?" She was so cute and innocent I couldn't stop from smiling at her antics.

"Oh, cut it out, Jen," laughed Rose. She pulled me back from where I'd lent my elbows on her knee and thigh to be at eye-level with her daughter. "Momma doesn't need a boy to make her happy- just like Princes Elsa. And Princess Jenée is just the same, she doesn't need boys to keep her happy."

Jenée pouted at me and her mother. "But Momma, 'Mitri make Momma smile," factually argued a confused and tired Jenée.

 _How were kids so perceptive?_ Rose looked just as frantic and worried as I felt. _What if she worked it out? What if Jenée worked out our past- our_ _ **true**_ _past?_

"We'll talk about 'Mitri later, okay? Why don't you go to sleep? Momma will wake you again when it's time. Okay?"

Yawning and cuddling into Rose, Jenée nodded and mumbled out something close to, "M'kay, love you, Momma."

Rose smiled, kissed the top of Jenée's head and whispered, "Momma loves you, too, baby girl."

Rose eventually turned to face me once Jenée was sleeping soundly. "Not. A. Word," breathed Rose. Clearly Jenée had had trouble going to sleep last night before we'd swooped in and uprooted her, her mother and her mother's friend. I had to wonder if the child had ever been on a nocturnal schedule. Because if she hadn't she was clearly going to struggle adjusting.

I decided Rose should probably have room to stretch out a little so I nodded at Jenée then my chair as I stood and left.

Rose smiled tiredly. "Thanks."

As I walked away I registered how tired and worn-out Rose really looked.

She was still young and fresh, in a way, but there were signs of the stress she'd been under being a young Mom on the run with her best friend. For at least 30 months. When I'd first met her she'd been mature for her age. She still was- she had to be with Jenée- but she also looked... not _old_ , exactly, but burdened. She'd lost a different type of innocence.

"She's so Rose all over again," said my boss- Guardian Alberta Petrov- as I sat in the same row as her.

"Jenée? Yes, she certainly is." Wasn't she ever. So cute and little but already so cunning.

"Belikov, you know she's going to be a reason for the Headmistress to expel Rose, don't you?"

"Rose won't be expelled, not on my watch. I'd have Jenée herself enrolled at the Academy before I let Rose be expelled." It was a bold and dangerous declaration, one that could endanger my own career, but I meant every word that accidentally slipped through my lips.

Alberta dropped her neutral expression for a millisecond, letting it turn into a warning yet... awed? Proud? Indulgent one? It was gone too quickly for me too get a proper read of it. "Remember your limited power, Dimitri."


	3. The Consequences and the save

RPOV

"Wake up, sweetie," someone called in my ear. "Roza," the accent thickened and my eyes flashed open in panic as I recognised the voice.

"Don't do that!" I growled so quietly it was practically mouthed as I reached over Jenée to punch him.

It was my half-asleep, protective-mother instinct that drove my words and actions. I'd always lived by _punch first, see who it was later,_ but once on the run- and especially after delivering Jenée early- that tendency became my driving instinct, my lifeline and my baby's lifeline.

"Ouch, Rose," he whispered as he rubbed his strong, sexy jaw. _Well, that was a first. And god Rose, stop it. I've got to be insane to put myself through_ _ **that**_ _again._

"What'd you expect? You woke up a guardian-trained mother."

"Come on, Jenée, Rose. Let's go."

"Mr 'Mitri!" _Did she_ _ **have**_ _to jump on me to beg Dimitri to pick her up?_

"What do you say, Momma?" asked Dimitri.

"I say this Princess gets what she wants," I groaned and rubbed where she'd jumped on my thighs.

"Yay!" squealed Jenée as Dimitri lifted her off me and up onto his hip. I shook my head as I stood and followed them out onto Tarmac.

 _What happened there?_ asked Lissa through the bond as she subtly eyed off Dimitri and Jenée. I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders minutely. No one could know about the bond we shared. It was strange and scary and new... well, not _new_ new, but something we didn't have a clue how to navigate.

When I realised where they were leading us I demanded Jenée back.

"Dimitri, put her down. Jenée, sweetie, can you come walk with Momma."

"'Mitri?" she puppy-eyed.

"No, Jenée. You have until the count of three," I snapped. I loved her to bits and often worked hard to stay calm but there were times when I needed her to listen. Now was one of those times. "One..." I narrowed my eyes at Dimitri.

"Two..." he warned and placed her down on her feet.

"Thr... Good girl," we said in unison as she reluctantly came to my side. I nodded at Dimitri. He returned it with a small twitch of his lips; something warm and powerful shot between us. _**This. Cannot. Be. Happening!**_ If any of us get attached I won't succeed in getting Lissa and Jenée out again, and it's the three of us out there or the three of us staying. I'd rather it be the former not the latter.

Scared and in denial I shifted my gaze to my baby girl and ran my right hand over her coming-loose braid. Deciding we were as safe as we could be here I pulled the hair band out and released her almost-untameable nearly-black curls. My fingers worked through the mess and attempted to fluff it up before we stepped into the commons. At breakfast time. My biggest secret became a reality to them instead of a stupid rumour without substance. The substance was standing right next to me and clinging to my leg. Her father's shyness taking over. She wasn't the only one avoiding attention as we walked through the students gathered for breakfast. Up ahead of me Lissa was suddenly finding the floor more interesting than her niece. Now that's saying something given how much she loves Jenée.

Me, however, I was keeping my head held high and returned my classmates gazes as they gaped and started gossiping. These rumours were going to be more vicious than simply vicious and half that reason was because they surrounded Jenée and involved slamming me- her mother. It was going to hurt me more than I'd dare let on because they were going to hurt her, my precious baby. Who just tugged me to a stop. Her eyes moved up to a shocked but still smirking red-haired dhampir novice and my best mate.

"Mason, lose the look, seriously. Now's not the time to be thinking of me like That." He was still surrounded by the normal novice suspects.

"Rose, it's-"

"Eddie, not here." I turned to pick Jenée up and keep our walk-of-shame going so it would be over sooner. "Baby language, please."

"I no baby, Momma," whined Jenée in my ear.

I tickled her. "You'll always be Momma's precious baby, Jen." She smiled and giggled in response. I kissed her cheek. I ignored the suddenly dead-silent commons and got us out of there.

One torture ended only for another to begin. Headmistress Kirova looked like a hawk with her beak-like nose and was a very self-righteous, pretentious bitch. Lissa, Jenée and I were ushered into her office then were left with Alberta and Dimitri as the only guardians in the room.

In the darker corner of the room I noticed Prince Victor Dashkov just before Lissa did.

"Uncle!" she smiled as she very cautiously hugged him.

"Vasilisa, dear. It's good to see you safely returned." He was barely in his early-forties but looked close to three times that age thanks to his Sandovsky's syndrome. A condition that would soon kill him. He nodded in my direction then his eyes bugged. "You too, Rosemarie. Who's this?" He indicated to Jenée, who was still on my hip and now snuggled into the crook of my neck.

"My daughter, Jenée Luca Hathaway." I so wished she could have taken her father's surname, but that would only complicate and tangle things even more. My left hand ran over her hair in a placating gesture. "Jen, say hi to Prince Victor- Aunty Lissa's Uncle." Not in blood, but it may as well have been. Just like Lissa may as well have been Jenée's blood-related Aunt. I popped her higher up on my hip as she shyly turned to face him and put on her award-winning smile.

Jenée waved. "Hi," she said cutely.

"Told you she's such a sweetie," Lissa whispered in my ear.

"She is such a sweet thing," Victor agreed.

"Thank you, Prince Dashkov."

The reunion and introduction was interrupted by a very antagonistic bird. Also known as the Headmistress. Why someone who didn't like kids was a school Headmistress will forever mystify me. As she ranted on about rules and discipline and family images I zoned out. I focused on getting out of here and keeping Jenée calm.

But I think my racing heart wasn't helping her calm. Nor was the subtle but piercing gaze Dimitri aimed at me. It was preventing me from breathing normally. _Does he even know what the hell he does to me? Oh, shut. Up. Rose! You_ _ **cannot**_ _be thinking like that._

"As for you, Miss Hathaway," sneered Kirova, "you broke the most sacred promise of our world-" I did that months before we escaped, like the day I first met Him. Jenée's rather and likely forever unsuspecting father. "The promise of a guardian to protect the Moroi."

"Go to Mr 'Mitri," I whispered urgently in Jenée's ear before setting her on her feet and standing up, fuming. "I Did protect her! I did it when none of you could!" I gestured around the room.

 _Sorry, Comrade, but you_ _ **are**_ _included in that list. You had Ivan to focus on- where even is_ _ **he**_ _? And even if you did believe, then there wasn't anything you could've done to stop it, prevent it from happening again._ Peeking out from between Dimitri's legs was a timid and knocking-knees-and-shaking scared daughter of mine. I hated seeing that look on her. Especially when it was my outbursts that brought it on. With one look at her all my dark energy drained away. She was so tiny and such an innocent in this. She didn't need to be scared of her own mother; not when I loved her so much, not when she looks up to me so completely and worshipping-ly.

"Please explain how..." and on Kirova went as I collapsed back in my chair. "And your daughter makes this decision all the more easy to make." My ears pricked up and I went on edge at the mention of my daughter. "So much easier." She wore the look of someone who'd just discovered the meaning of life. _Gleeful. Far too gleeful, smug and triumphant._ "You, Miss Hathaway, will be expelled and sent to a commune."

A low, sexy, _**Russian**_ voice spoke before I could. "They have the bond," he said as he stepped away from the wall with Jenée in his arms. _So much for preventing attachments._

DPOV

I kept Rose's daughter balanced on my hip and ran my hand through Jenée's hair as I spoke up for Rose. I would always side with Rose, and if she leaves, so do I. That had been decided ages ago, though only the two of us knew. "You know what Vasilisa is thinking or feeling, don't you, Rose?"

Rose looked at Jenée then back at me, doing a double take. Jenée hadn't said a word- she was nearly asleep on my hip, with her head against my shoulder and one hand gripped my shirt at the front while the other fell across my arm and lolled there. _Then... how?_ Rose's eyes asked. I rested the urge to roll mine. Honestly, the two'd always had their own language, but it had morphed into something close to the myth of the bond twins share, but upon closer inspection the connection was stronger- maybe stronger than ours.

Headmistress Kirova gave voice to Rose's confusion. "That's impossible! That hasn't happened in centuries." _Well it's happened again and the evidence is right in front of you._

"It was obvious as soon as I started watching them." She'd been about to wake Jenée but instead returned to Lissa to wake her up. "All the best guardians had them."

"In stories that are centuries old!" Kirova's hands met her desk, the thundering sound caused the two-year-old on my hip to simper and cling tighter to me. I eyed Rose. A resigned look was all I received. _Thanks, Rose, helpful, very helpful. What else aren't you telling me?_

Rose met Kirova's menacing glare. "Yeah, I do have a bond with Lissa."

"That is quite a gift," Prince Dashkov added as much regality as he could to his supporting argument.

"The number of female guardians has gone down way too much to risk two with such potential." It wasn't until Kirova glared at Jenée that I realised I'd automatically included her. And simply from being Rose's I knew she had the same potential as her mother.

"All the bonds in the world and Very raw potential can't make up for cowardice or a lack of discipline." Rose shot up and stood in front of me- trying to defend Jenée. It was unnecessary since my own inherent protective instincts over Jenée kicked into overdrive and I clutched her closer to my chest. "I've got this, Rose," I whispered and guided her back to the chair she'd been in before. Too many times before.

"Jenée is _not_ a coward, she's a _baby_!"

"And as for your discipline, Miss Hathaway?"

"Teach her discipline," I reasoned.

"She has a child! She shouldn't have to learn it!" She had far more than the last time I'd seen her. Kirova needed to learn how to _not_ push Rose's buttons the wrong way.

"She has more than you realise," I muttered under my breathe and in Russian. "She's a teen mother; she still has things to learn herself, she has the _time_ to learn them if you put her back in training. Classes just started."

"She'll be hopelessly behind her peers! Not to mention _distracted._ "

"Then give her extra sessions. And she won't be distracted by Jenée- Jenée has lived her life on the run. Rose hid both Lissa and Jenée for over two years." My gaze locked with Rose's. "You were pregnant for at least the first four months you were gone, weren't you, Rose?" Honestly, I had no clue how no-one could hear how every time I said her name it was like me worshipping the young woman I was addressing.

Rose nodded slowly, warily.

"Who's going to train her? You?" the Headmistress scoffed. _Oh, in a heartbeat I would. But that heartbeat was one that should be skipped._

Rose's eyes looked into me, pleading with me silently to look after her, but to look after myself too. Our eyes landed on Jenée at the same time. With that our decision was made. Well, mine was. Hers was hers I'd discus with her at a later time should it be different. And I suspected it was, all because she was hiding something from me. Not lying, as such, just not telling me things.

"I can mentor Rose again," I agreed.

"Then what? She goes un-punished? The child goes elsewhe-"

"No!" Rose and I snapped in unison.

"Jenée will be enrolled here," Rose spoke my thoughts.

"To do what? Cause as much mayhem and disarray as her wild, dangerous, insubordinate and vulgar mother?"

"To become the refined guardian her father's genetics gave her the potential to be," whispered Rose. I don't think she meant to say it, regardless, I heard it. And Kirova saw the rare moment of vulnerability Rose was showing. Jenée meant everything to Rose and this decision was breaking her heart. And mine. There was something special about Jenée, something I couldn't name but something nonetheless that translated into me not wanting her out in the world as a guardian. I had to be feeling what Rose was feeling.

Kirova turned towards the sole-darkened- window in her office. Every so often she looked back at where Jenée was still curled up on me. Eventually she moved to one of her drawers and pulled out a form. With a sigh she dropped the papers in front of Rose.

"Here's how your enrolment continues, Miss Hathaway. You step a toe out of line and you will be separated from your daughter. Permanently. You're on strict probation. You're to obey every curfew, spend every other non-class hour training with Guardian Belikov."

"And as for my time with Jenée?" _Be careful, Rose. Please. Nice try, Belikov; that's_ _ **not**_ _going to happen, man, and you know it- it's_ _ **Rose**_ _. Rose doesn't_ _ **do**_ _careful._

"Every mealtime and overnight, plus weekends." Rose smiled tightly at that, accepting the bare basic scabs of time she got with her daughter. "On one condition," Kirova added. Fear shone from Rose's eyes. The one question that had to be playing in everyone's mind was the one likely to be asked. And the prospect of answering it terrified the fearless Rose Hathaway. "Who is Jenée's father?"

Rose locked up. I went to pass Jenée to her but she shook her head at me. What did that mean? What is she hiding! When she found her voice it was barely above a whisper, a very dangerously low whisper that scared the pants off of normal people. And I'll admit her tone even shocked me a little. "It doesn't matter."

 _Oh, but it does, Rose. It does matter. To you, to her and to me._ I felt like Jenée was mine because she was Rose's, but that wasn't true. It couldn't be- Jenée had to have been some Moroi's. Heaven forbid she'd slept with Ivan! It matters to **him** ; to her father. _You know it matters, Rose, so why won't you recognise that?_

"Well then..."

"If you're thinking I'm a slut, then go ahead and believe what you want, but it's not true. And if you're wondering if I was forced, not true either. You'll never get me to speak nor will you get me to agree to a paternity test. I know who her father is, but it's my right as her mother as to whether I choose to share that information or not."

"But the-"

"I'm a dhampir, you guys don't normally care in the first place. Take my only child into the future guardian ranks or see the three of us gone again by midnight- human time." I didn't doubt she would find her way out and this time evade us until we exhausted all our sources trying to find them or they died.

"Please, Ms Kirova, let them stay- just like Rose said, who Jenée's father is isn't a big deal," Lissa asked in a sweet, soothing tone. To me, it was an almost grating sweet tone.

"Fine. Guardian Belikov will tail you the next three or so days with your daughter," her disgust over the word alone spoke legions about her immediate disliking of Jenée, "so her application can be processed and arrangements for classes are made."

"Thank you," Rose forced the sincerity into the two words. Relief was what mainly flooded her eyes. In that moment I would have traded all my worldly possessions to actually know her thoughts, what exactly triggered her relief.


	4. Back to class Part 1

DPOV

I didn't even care that Kirova had 'reduced me to 'child-minding''. I loved kids and a certain Miss Jenée Hathaway was going to be a delight to look after. As long as her mother played the game right. Which I'd learned a while ago almost never happens.

So, I waited outside the counsellor's office as Rose got her new timetable. Alberta was beside me and Jenée was asleep again. I was seriously sad about having up-ended her life. Her body-clock and day/ night training was going to be reversed and who knows what else.

"You do know Rose wouldn't hide the identity of Jenée's father without good cause, don't you?" asked Petrov.

I nodded. "It's just, that makes at least two secrets she's hiding."

"Give her time, Belikov. In case you didn't register, Everyone here- except her daughter and the Princess- is on her bad side."

I looked at said daughter and sighed. "Someone so young shouldn't be without a father."

"I never said she would be," slyly interrupted Rose as she strode up to me. She reached out to take Jenée. I shook my head but handed over the baby anyway. "I simply said no one can know." She nodded at Petrov before continuing on to wake her daughter. What was that distinction about? You would think I'd know her well enough to know, but no, she's changed more than the others realised.

"Momma!"

"Sorry, Jenée, but Momma's got to get her Princess adjusted to her new timetable. And that means keeping you up all night and asleep all day."

"Wha?" she asked as she rubbed sleep from her eyes. _Far too cute for her own good._ "Neber mind."

Alberta shot me a look as we walked behind Rose and Jenée, making sure they went to the gym. We fell back a bit to give them more privacy. "You know who'd make a good father for Jenée?"

"Her real one?"

"One who looks after her as you do. One who looks after her mother as you do. More importantly, one whom she trusts as much as she trusts you."

I shifted my gaze momentarily as Rose and Jenée entered the gym. _What was with women and their riddles today_? Alberta left me to trail in after Rose.

"Mr 'Mitri!" Jenée squealed adorably as she turned to face me, releasing Rose's leg in the process.

"Miss Jenée," I returned with a tiny smile when I lowered to her hight to reassure her I was the trustworthy person she felt I was.

"Oh, go on, Jen," Rose laughed after turning to find a pouting daughter. "I hope you can tame her curls, Comrade, 'cause I sure can't."

Jenée bounded into my arms with the hair tie I was being asked to use located on her wrist. "'Mitri." She hugged my neck tightly before I rose with her in my hold and passed Rose on the way to the observation deck.

"Be-have," I warned.

"Tell that to her curls while I kick some serious dhampir butt." _Oh, good god. Did she_ _ **never**_ _know how she tended to put sick images in the minds of the males around her even when she didn't try? Oh, shut up, Belikov! Her child's in your care- for heaven's sake, pull your head out of the gutter!_

"Your Mother's a worry," I told Jenée in Russian. I felt Rose's glare as I walked up the steps... she burned a hole in my butt with her eyes. _Hah. Serves her right for leaving._


	5. Back to class Part 2

RPOV

I trusted Dimitri with Jenée, absolutely. I just didn't like the possibility he'd teach her Russian but not me. Okay, I **hated** it- it's not even like she's asking to learn.

I should not have glared after his retreating form because that meant I was left with the teasing sight of his hot, toned ass I just wanted a piece of right now. As if I wasn't wound up enough by the sight of Jenée clinging to him and him being all protective of her.

I was back to square one... or was it back to square negative-one? I wanted him, but I couldn't have him. Why'd he have to say yes to being my mentor? This year was going to be agony. And where was Ivan? Why couldn't Jenée just be put in his care for the time-being?

I tore my eyes and thoughts away from my daughter and her hot babysitter.

"She's cute, I'll give you that," teased Mason. "You however, look incredibly hot with that protective- almost possessive- glare." Murmurs of agreement came from the other boys. The two other girls in my class looked disgusted but laughed when I did. The boys wouldn't be thinking that and the other girls wouldn't be laughing if they knew what it was I was actually being possessive of...

"No one told me we had a guest speaker today!" taunted Guardian Stan Alto when his eyes homed in on me... and Jenée. Someone had managed to get a bottle of milk and a few pieces of fruit together for her since she was off-schedule and starving. I suspected Dimitri worked his magic. So she was sitting on my knee, eating and drinking. "Well, it looks like someone made an effort take time out of her busy schedule..."

"Momma!" cried Jenée as she snuggled into my chest. "Stop 'im, Momma."

"Shh, Jenée. Why doesn't Mr 'Mitri take you outside to finish your food while Momma makes Guardian Alto stop being mean to Momma?"

Her tiny face brightened. "Mr 'Mitri!"

"Yes, Miss Jenée?" responded Dimitri as he walked towards us. It was too damn cute every time they did that! If she were older I would say she tricked him into it on purpose. She had him wrapped and it melted my heart to see and know she made him happy.

"Outside!"

"Use your manners," I reminded, "and your words."

She pouted at me. When my eyes narrowed she turned to Dimitri. Just like she should always be able turn to her father... "Mr 'Mitri, take me outside, please?"

"Much better." I pecked her cheek and handed her over to an eager-to-please Dimitri.

If only that thought didn't conjure up images of him doing dirty things to me. **THIS** is why I had half-hoped he wouldn't take up mentorship of me. I wanted clean thoughts of him if I was stuck here all year; I had plenty of dirty dreams about him while we were gone, I didn't need him here to torment me further. Especially when I got to see how great he was at looking after Jenée.

"So I see **one** of the rumours was true," sneered Stan as Dimitri walked Jenée out the door.

"She isn't why we left!" I growled. I hated this school and its rumour mill. "I didn't even know I was pregnant until after we'd left." She was all the more reason to stay away, Lissa had agreed when I explained who Jenée's father was. But she Wasn't why we left. If she was I wouldn't have taken Lissa with me.

"Well then, get to the front of the class, Hathaway, and tell us how you managed to keep her **and** the Princess alive for over two years." This was going to be Kirova's office all over again, just with more witnesses. And so began my humiliation. What hours had we slept, in what ways had I observed my surroundings, had we run into Strigoi. We'd slept human hours, I'd used whichever surveillance theory I pulled up from my memory the second we stepped out the door. And as for the Strigoi...

"They aren't lurking around every street corner!" Calm down, Rose. Jenée is just outside that door, you need to stay calm for her. I **never** , ever, ever wanted her to be as scared of me as she had been in Kirova's office. "They are out there, but they aren't hiding in every shadow. And yes, we ran into two. But guess what- we're still standing."

"Because you got lucky!" Alto was so close to my face I got hit with some of his spit. Gross!

"Because I've got **kills**!" My voice twisted with the agony of the memory. Killing at all was a horrid thing, but at fifteen and while pregnant... no words can describe how painful and traumatic it had been. I'd nearly lost them both.

"That's impossible." How many times was I going to hear that phrase today?

"There's always fire and decapitation if you can't stake," I whispered pointedly. Knowing I couldn't yet stake with our specialised charmed silver ones, I'd taken to having a make-shift wooden one Lissa could light up and while I would aim to get it in somewhere like the stomach. Thank god it had worked. Both times.

It was completely unorthodox and came with consequences for Moroi to practice offensive magic, but it had been necessary and Lissa still got a thrill from doing something 'so rebellious'. It wasn't as big as the exhilaration she felt when she practiced what we didn't dare speak of, what we didn't dare think of, but it still thrilled her nonetheless.

My response brought Stan up short. It also ended the lecture and tormenting as a result. I moved to the door and called Jenée back in. I took her off Dimitri and clung to my baby- reassuring myself she was still here and still okay- while listening to Stan teach stuff I'd already learned while on the run.

Jenée went back to Dimitri for my next two classes. Then came back to me when we went to lunch. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Dimitri studying me out of the corner of his.

"What is it?" I sighed.

"Is it true, Rose? Did you really kill while you were out there?"

"I wouldn't say it if it weren't," I snapped. "You know that."

"Were- were you ready?" The anguish and knowing in his accent-thickened voice brought me to a grinding halt.

"What do you think, Dimitri? I was fifteen, pregnant and on the run with the last Dragomir. Do you really need to ask?"

He came to stand in front of me, his hands went to my shoulders and his brown eyes bore into mine. His look alone touched my heart and warmed me. His touch was burning in a way I couldn't fight. His gorgeous face was perfectly framed by the stubborn strands of hair that just never stayed in his ponytail. I honestly wanted to kiss those soft lips... Cut! It! Out! Rosemarie Hathaway! You **cannot** be thinking like an hormone-driven teenage fan-girl with a crush.

"Of course I don't need to ask, Rose." His eyes betrayed everything his guardian mask was trying to hide.

"Where's Ivan?" I asked suddenly. When I saw it flash across his face and felt his hands tighten on my shoulders I knew. I just knew my suspicions had been right. "Oh, Comrade..." I sighed. My heart ached for him. Ivan had come to be a brother to me much like he'd been to Dimitri. I'd lost another family member, but he'd lost his tie to home, to the arctic-wasteland known as Siberia. "He wasn't on your watch, was he?"

Dimitri shook his head, tears starting to pool in his eyes. "He was out shopping for a present for you, Roza. I was out chasing another false lead a couple months ago. He was convinced this was finally it, so he took Guardian Pennhale with him and went to Missoula... he didn't come back." I watched as Dimitri swallowed away the tears, my own guilt and grief-borne ones gathered and threatened to spill. "This was found on him, and I haven't let go of it since." Dimitri reached into the pocket of his signature leather duster and handed over a silver-wrapped box. It had a little plastic name-tag taped to it indicating it was mine and from him. My eyes lifted to meet Dimitri's. "Open it, Rose. He'd want you to."

I nodded and carefully opened it. My jaw dropped when I saw it was a square, shallow Tiffany's box. I shook my head and handed it back to Dimitri. "I can't, Dimitri. I just... can't." The guilt was too much.

"It's not my place to, Rose."

"You were his brother, Dimitri, he'd want you to if I couldn't."

"You were his sister, Rose."

"That's what makes it too hard."

"Momma?" Jenée's voice made the tears spill. Both Dimitri's and mine. We were both thinking the same thing: Ivan would have loved her and spoiled her senseless. Dimitri opened the box. He removed the plain but pure platinum bangle and slid it on my wrist.

"I'm glad you're safe little sis, love always, Ivan," Dimitri read the engraving. "It's in Russian."

I couldn't stop my eyes from rolling and a strangled-sounding single cough of a laugh from escaping. "Of course it is. Of course it is." Ivan'd tortured me just as much as Dimitri had when it came to me learning their native language. They'd speak it to me but would never teach it to me.

"Momma? Mr 'Mitri?" Oh, honey. She was so innocent and this world was too cruel for someone as sweet and special as her.

"We'll explain when you're older, sweetheart," I cooed as I scooped her up onto my hip.

"Love you, Momma." Jenée kissed my cheek.

"Momma loves you too, Princess."

"Let's get you two fed," encouraged Dimitri.

"Mr 'Mitri?" Jenée leaned away from me with outstretched arms and such eagerness I was certain she'd fall. But Dimitri had her in his arms before the worry could really take hold of me or I could stop her. As we walked into the commons with her I realised just how much he calmed with her in his arms. She was a balm to him. He'd always wanted kids- that I knew as a fact as true as him being alive right now- and he was brilliant with her. My heart swelled. If only her father could know.

"Come on, missy. Let Mr 'Mitri have lunch with the other guardians while we go find Aunty Lissa and meet some of her other friends."


	6. Guardians' lunchtime

DPOV

I felt surprisingly empty and lonely without Jenée in my arms. She was Rose's daughter, which meant she was a solid part of my life. I just hadn't expected her to find a way into my heart so quickly and easily.

When I returned to the guardian lounge for lunch I was met with curious expressions. Eventually one spoke up. Yuri, one of the few of my colleagues here who'd always wanted Rose back, and for that we had a very-bare-basics friendship.

"Is Rose really a mother?" Really, Yuri? **That's** your first question.

"Yeah, she is."

"And?" Celeste asked as I retrieved some food.

"What's the child's name?" Emil pressed while I sat with their cluster.

" **Her** name is Jenée Luca Hathaway."

"Belikov!" complained Joan, one of the elementary campus guardians. "We need details. Age? Looks? Temperament?"

"I haven't checked with Rose, but I suspect she's a little over two years old. She looks like a replica of Rose. As for her temperament? She's nearly the opposite of her mother... she can be just as stubborn, but she's calmer and shy around anyone who isn't Rose or the Princess." So god knows who her father is.

"Or **you** ," spat Alto. "She adores you, 'Mr 'Mitri'." I couldn't deny that, but I certainly wasn't about to make myself sound like I played a big role in her life. I also couldn't deny how cute and sweet her nickname for me was. She was only two! It wasn't like she'd be able to easily pronounce either of my names or my title.

"That she does, Alto, but I wouldn't know why."

"Because Rose trusts you," said Petrov. "She'll trust whom her mother does, and Rose trusts you with her. Unconditionally, I must add."

"But, why?" I still didn't understand. It wasn't like I could be Jenée's father.

Petrov sent me a look that said I was an idiot if I had to ask. One that seemed to say Rose would always trust me, and that everyone here knew it. I couldn't help but doubt it. She hadn't trusted me enough to tell me why she'd left, that she had reason to want to leave, or that she was pregnant. If Rose trusted me unconditionally with Jenée and would always trust me, then why didn't she tell me that or why she was going to leave or that she'd fallen pregnant? Why hadn't she at least approached Ivan?

"Did you tell her?" asked one of Dashkov's guardians as he entered. Spiridon. He was as southern as they came despite his Greek name.

"Hmm?"

"Ivan, did you tell her?" His name was like a stab in the heart.

I nodded morosely. "Yeah, I did."

"I thought so," compassionately said his guardian partner, Ben. "She's clinging to that cute daughter of hers and wearing a bangle that only he could've given her."

I swear, my late friend and charge had loved Rose more than just in a sibling way. But I doubted she'd noticed. I knew sibling love when I saw it, and his was bordering on something more. Hers however, hers **had** been purely platonic and familial.


	7. Take back control

DPOV

Rose and Lissa had once commanded this Academy's respect, and as the day wore on, I noticed how nothing was going to stop Rose from reminding them of that. No grief over Ivan, no slander over nor verbal attacks on her Jenée were going to get in her way of regaining her status as a campus legend. Lissa let Rose take the limelight and answer all the questions unless they were specifically addressed to her and by her name at that. I also noticed how few specific details she gave out about their "vacation". One question she always went rigid on was the one about Jenée's father. Why he was such a touchy subject for her I didn't know nor could I puzzle it out.

Sometimes when the topic was breached she would set her eyes on where Jenée was and in them I saw flashes of regret and sadness, wistfulness and longing, but also undying love and protectiveness. Hiding his identity was a burden to her, I could gather that much. She wanted her daughter to have a father, I was beginning to see, but then she'd look up at me and all those emotions were hidden by a hope and happiness so strong I could almost taste it, almost embrace it like a tangible thing. And trust, so much trust underpinned her hope and happiness when she saw me looking after Jenée.

"Take Jenée straight to the gym," Rose directed as she walked past me and out of her last class. What was the point of that, Rose? Now I know for sure you're going to sneak off to find Lissa, do you really think I'm going to not follow you?

"Rose, do you really believe you'll be able to stand splitting them? Being away from her father again?" I heard Lissa ask when I approached the corner behind the commons they were hiding their meeting. I indicated to Jenée to stay silent. She obeyed.

"This isn't about them, or me, it's about **you**!" Rose hissed in a whisper.

"It's not just about me anymore, Rose. It hasn't been just about me from the time we realised you were pregnant. It hasn't been about just me from the moment you **conceived** her! Rose, you have a family of your own, one you need to start being. **Properly**."

"I can't, Lissa!" Rose's quiet retort was full of longing and heartbreak. "You know I can't. You know I want to, but I can't. You know **why** I can't."

"It's going to backfire on you soon, Rose. Just think about it. I'll look after me, you look after them. She's my niece and I think she deserves to know."

"She's too young, Lissa. She's better off in the dark. Everyone is until we know what happened."

Jenée shot me a confused and sad look. "Momma?" she whispered in my ear. My hand ran over her untameable hair before I nodded. It was time to step in.

"Rose, you're late for training. Princess."

Rose looked between me and Jenée and tears pooled in her eyes. She turned to look at Lissa. "I can't, Lissa. I'll see you later." Rose shook her head at me and took off.

I was left looking at Lissa in confusion. It was an emotion Rose's words or actions rarely elicited in me. "Princess?"

"Just let her cool down, Guardian Belikov. She's been through a lot today and since... well..." Lissa nodded at Jenée. "Since she fell pregnant with her." She clapped her hands and smiled at Jenée while reaching for the baby. "You coming with Aunty Lissa while Momma relaxes, Princess Jenée?"

"Mr 'Mitri?"

I smiled and nodded. "Go on, Miss Jenée. I'll get Momma back to you in time for dinner."

She hugged me tightly before letting me hand her over to Lissa. The Princess was watching us closely, speculatively.

"Be careful with Rose, Guardian Belikov."

I nodded. "Of course, Princess."

My gut told me I knew where she'd gone. I just hoped I was right. It was where I'd retreated to many times over the time she'd been missing. It would only be logical for her to go there to calm down. For the half hour of space I gave her I couldn't sit still or concentrate on anything for more than a few seconds at a time. Worry bubbled and boiled away until I slammed my novel on my bedside table and jumped off the bed in my dorm to go find her. She may want space and she may need it, but I needed to be there for her. She'd been devastated by the news about Ivan but had remained strong for me. She'd been strong for too long today and I needed to let her know I was still there for her. That I'd always be there for her no matter what.

When I found her she was exactly where I suspected she would be. Only, she was curled up asleep. She looked so peaceful and beautiful but I could tell she'd collapsed from stress, exhaustion and tears. I don't know how I knew, I could just tell. Softly I closed the door to the old watch-post cabin and locked it. Nearly every guardian had a skeleton key to the old, worn log-cabins but the action was reassuring nonetheless as I moved away from it and to the single bed. My shoes came off before I joined her under the covers and protectively wrapped my arms around her.

"Comrade," she mumbled as she curled into my side. Her head rested over my heart and she tugged me closer, clinging to me as if I would slip through her grasp like smoke. Never. Never, my Roza. Never.

"Go back to sleep, Roza. I'll wake you for dinner."

The only response was a soft, delicate snore.

She'd grown and changed, matured and developed so much in two and a half years. As I studied her I found the signs of how Lissa had survived all along her neck when I brushed her hair behind her ear and over her shoulder. **Anything.** She'd always sworn to me she'd do **anything** to protect Lissa. Her friendship was that intense and her dedication was that strong she had become the princess's blood source. Not many guardians had the guts to do that, but Rose had. At the tender age of fifteen and while pregnant she'd become a source of blood to keep her best friend alive. That woman never ceased to amaze me, entrance me, inspire me. There was so much more to Rose Hathaway than she let on.

Her face structure had become more defined, more teasingly mature for her age. Her curves had been impressive for a dhampir before she'd had Jenée, but now her hips and chest were even more attractively curvy than anyone else I'd ever met. How was any Moroi or dhampir male going to resist her now? She was as toned and tan as ever. "Beautiful" didn't describe her anymore. "Heavenly" came close. She was Rose, and that was the only real way to describe her. She was exotic and alluring. A mystery I wanted to unravel again- a mystery I **needed** to unravel again. She was so strong and resilient, so recklessly over-confident and self-sufficient. But she was also so incredibly vulnerable and all I wanted to do was to keep her here in my arms for the rest of our lives and protect her.

It was a rare moment of peace and serenity, a rare moment of privacy to be with her in this way. And to think it's only day one. It was so wrong, but so right to be with her like this. I'd made my peace with how I felt for her years ago. With Ivan's help and guidance, no less.

The platinum bangle on her wrist caught my eye. He'd died while trying to spoil her. He'd died two months before we'd actually found her. He'd been murdered because he loved her and wanted to give her a token of that love, that relief she was safe. He was the Moroi, but he'd been more concerned about her safety and happiness. Just like Lissa. Those Moroi were rare and an honor to guard. And such a tragic loss regardless of the way they died.

Rose's eyes fluttered open and my heart skipped a beat at her happy and contented smile. "I love you."

"I love you, Roza."

Before I knew it her warm lips were on mine and I finally felt like she was home. The kiss was soft and gentle, tender and full of emotion. But it didn't take much to morph into something more urgent and animalistic. It became heady and heated, leaving us breathing deeply but unable to stop, unwilling to stop. My lips moved to her jaw, her throat, her neck.

"Dimitri... no... stop... Dimitri, stop!" Rose puffed out the demand as she pushed my chest. The rejection stung, **deeply**. It cut. She'd started it, so why'd she end it? I pulled away so quickly I nearly fell off the bed. She ran a hand through her hair as a frustrated look dominated her expression. "We can't," she sighed and turned away from me.

"Rose...?"

"Please Dimitri, don't ask me to do something I can't. We're back at square one. Maybe not even on the board... I don't know how to explain it so don't ask me to."

"Explain what, Rose?"

"Why we can't do this." She gestured between us and the bed. "I love you, Dimitri, I just can't do this."

I guided her face back to look at mine and tipped her chin up so our eyes could meet. "Look at me, Roza." Her eyes finally met mine with a focus in them. She was with me so I took the chance to tenderly cup her face in my hands. "I won't push you. I never have, have I?" It was a rhetorical question but I loved how she answered it anyway.

"No, never," she confirmed.

"So I won't now. I need you safe, Roza. Okay? If that means none of this, then I'll live with it. I just got you back, Rose, I can't lose you again."

Not after Ivan. I can't lose you too, Roza. My heart won't cope with losing you, the one whose return gives me hope. My sanctuary- she always has been and always will be. I can't stand the thought of losing her again.

"I love you." She pecked my cheek. "And you **are** allowed to kiss me, I just can't let it get too heated," she whispered in my ear before crawling over me to get out of the bed.

I growled as I removed myself from the sheets and started straightening them. "You tease!"

"What ungodly hour are you going to expect me and Jenée to meet you in the gym in the morning?"

"Depends... You have more than two years of work to catch up on."

"Oh, come on, I took your ass down."

"You, caught me off guard by breaking basic sparring rules."

"You surrounded my charge and my daughter, why would I play by the rules? Why **should** I? Strigoi don't."

"How much theory have you missed?" I knew her basic fitness and sparring skills were more advanced than I let on I knew. Her theory? That I wasn't too sure about.

"Officially? Quite a bit. Technically? Not that much."

"Meet me at four. We'll put in three hours in the morning and two in the afternoon." She wouldn't know what hit her... even though I'd mentored her before. "Don't wake Jenée until breakfast."

Rose rolled her eyes as I locked the door after us. "Don't count on her sleeping in past five-thirty. She's an early-bird. Unlike her mother."

"You were up at two," I pointed out.

"Toilet training. She's good during the day, nights... not so much. She still needs prompting. But she also often doesn't go back down yet."

I smiled when she grabbed my hand and tugged me back towards campus. "You're one brilliant mother, Rose."

She shrugged. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm enough for her, but I do my best given how unplanned she was."

"You know I'm here to help, right?"

She snuggled up to my arm and nodded against it. "Yeah, I know. And she loves you, you know. She won't let me stop you from helping."

I stopped short and held her at arms length to look at her in shock. "What did you just say?"

"Jenée loves you, Dimitri. I can see it in her eyes, in the way she clings to you and trusts you. She doesn't trust anyone but you, me and Lissa for a reason: she loves us." I didn't know how to react.

"I won't hurt her, Roza. I promise."

She grinned. "I know. You're a natural with her." She grabbed my shirt and tugged my lips down to hers. "And I love you all the more because of it." Rose's soft, warm lips met mine for a teasing second.

"I'll see you in the morning with a sleeping Jenée." She was out of sight before I could register she'd pulled away.


	8. Family drama Part 1

RPOV

I woke Jenée at two for her toilet training run. And as I suspected would happen, neither of us could return to sleep. _Why'd she have to be an early-bird like her father?_

Deciding now was as good a time as any I got out of bed for the day and set about setting up the computer and re-activating my email account.

"Momma?" asked a too-awake-for-two-in-the-morning Jenée. I propped her up on my knee as I followed instructions and logged in. Jenée watched me work with awe and curiosity glowing from her brown eyes.

"Momma's setting up her computer and email, baby girl. Once I'm done I'll try find some food for you- your early-bird hours are going to cause issues with your meal times here, Princess Jenée," I teased lovingly and pecked her cheek. We might just have to resort to a certain mentor of mine for help with sourcing food.

Once I'd re-activated my email I noticed I already had two. One from Lissa and one from my so-called mother. As far as I was concerned I'd been more of a mother to Jenée in the past two and a bit years than she had been to me in seventeen and a half.

I opened Lissa's email first. I read it aloud to Jenée.

 _Hi, Rose,_

 _So glad we've got our emails back! Hope the Princess named Jenée Hathaway is adjusting well and behaving for her Momma._

 _To Jenée, Aunty Lissa loves you and will see you soon._

 _Later,_

 _Lissa._

"Love you, Aunty Lissa!" squealed Jenée. I couldn't hold my giggles in, which caused her to giggle too. She was so cute and innocent and all mine. She was one thing in this cruel world that was all mine. I created her, I gave birth to her and I had raised her so far- and I intended to keep that up, because this grotty school wasn't getting their grubby hands on custody of _**my**_ baby Princess.

I quickly replied to Lissa's email. I made sure to reassure her Jenée was being her usual, well-behaved, early-bird self. At the end I made sure to add Jenée's response and signed it from both of us.

With dread and resentment pulsing through my veins I opened the one from Janine Hathaway. My mother. I wish I could add quotation marks around that sadly-true fact. I didn't read this one aloud. Jenée didn't need to know what an ass her mother's mother is.

 _Disappointed. What you did was selfish and inexcusable._

 _~ Mom_

 _Love you too, 'Mom'._ I sighed before deciding to write a reply along the lines of 'get stuffed'.

"Okay, Momma?"

"Yeah, baby. Momma'll be okay. Your grandmother isn't much of a Mom."

 _Mom,_

 _Mind your own business. Think before you judge- everyone has a reason behind their choices. Trust I have mine._

 _~ Rose (Your daughter)_

I shot it off and then sent the screen to sleep. After ruffling through Jenée's and my meagre belongings I dressed her for the day and wrapped a robe around me to hide my pyjamas. With her by my side we went looking for food. Not finding any I decided to call in the big-guns. To get food this early I was going to need Dimitri's help. _Apparently._

When the matron finally stopped giving me dirty looks she called Dimitri down. Five minutes later he entered and smiled at Jenée. "You need breakfast, don't you, Miss Jenée?"

"Pwease, Mr 'Mitri?" begged Jenée. Complete with puppy-eyes and quivering bottom lip.

"Are you sure she's your child, Rose?" teased Dimitri as he nodded at Jenée. "I'll see you and your Momma at training in fifteen with some food for you, Miss Jenée."

"Does she look like she isn't?" I retorted at his turning-to-retreat form.

"The gym in fifteen, Rose. Don't be late- and please be dressed appropriately." _Don't be such a smug... Oh! Never mind. It's not worth it._ I thanked the matron despite her original resistance and returned to my dorm.

To my surprise my mother had replied in the forty minutes it had taken me to fail sourcing an early-morning breakfast for Jenée.

 _What you do_ _ **is**_ _my business- you're still my daughter. There's no good reason for kidnapping and endangering the last Dragomir. I'll be on campus by lunch to meet your "daughter"._

 _~ Mom_

I could just hear the venom coming off certain words. I counted to ten to stop from exploding in front of Jenée again. The image of her terrified face and clinging to Dimitri's leg yesterday popped into my head. I would not in any way make my own child scared of me ever again. She had the true monsters of nightmares to deal with in her future, her mother didn't need to be put on that list. Not when I loved her so damn much. Finally calm, I shut down the computer and got ready for training and the day. I also packed a _Frozen_ themed back-pack full of Jenée's stuff to hand to Dimitri. Including colouring books and crayons.

"Mr 'Mitri!" squealed Jenée as she ran to where he was sprawled on the store-room floor with a book. His cowboy obsession. I teased him about it, but there was something... I don't know, something _attractive_ and almost _sexy_ about this renowned and worshipped battle-god's nerdy obsession. _I seriously shouldn't be allowing those thoughts to invade my mind._

"Settle, Jenée. And careful with Mr 'Mitri's books." She had just sent his current re-read flying across the room while flinging herself into his arms and choking him in a hug.

A string of Russian came out of his mouth and he whispered what must have been a translation in her ear because she giggled.

"Really? Come! On! Comrade! She's my child, what gave you the idea you could teach her Russian without my permission?"

All he did was smirk at me with that earth-shatteringly sexy smirk before returning his attention to Jenée. It was at times like this when I really felt like if I wasn't careful around him- and he looked at me in any of the millions of ways that could make my heart stop and race- then I would one day be hit by traffic, because he was honestly that hot.

"What's the plan?" I asked as I dropped Jenée's bag next to him and mine across the room.

"Laps. However many you're up to." He didn't even look at me as he started the stopwatch with Jenée's help and set a breakfast out in front of her. A veritable spread of breakfast food. _How on earth?_

"I've lost my baby and my mentor," I muttered as I shook my head and exited the gym.

When I returned I was left to do core and strength work- _alone_ \- while Dimitri hogged Jenée. He'd fed her by now and was teaching her Russian. Maybe he didn't need a bag of stuff for babysitting her. Jenée was completely and absolutely contented and enraptured by the second language, engrossed in absorbing it. It didn't help matters that her brain was a sponge and she'd pick it up without hassles... well, without more hassles than any other Russian kid had learning their own language and English. I was going to have a bi-lingual daughter by the end of the day with the way Dimitri was going at teaching her like a bull went at a gate.

"I'm done. What next?"

Dimitri tossed me a text book. "Summarise pages 1 to 24. Then I've got a mini-quiz for you. Petrov, the Headmistress and the Councils want proof you're completing all the theory you've missed. Even if you picked it up in the real world they want to see you can follow and meet curriculum expectations. Starting back at Freshman term three."

It was too early in the morning for reading and quizzes but I forced myself to do the work; I had to prove I was worthy enough to be assigned to Lissa and graduate so I could properly support Jenée, after all. "Is that why the extra food? Group breakfast?"

Dimitri chuckled. "Nice try, Rose. Get to work." I'd forgotten how blunt and strict he could be. He was gentle about it but he didn't pull any punches when it came to anything duty related. "Grades won't bring him back, but focus will keep your girls alive, Roza." I noticed he was staring at the bangle. I went to slip it off but Dimitri's voice halted the action. "No, don't!"

"But..."

"Don't, Rose. It's safer on you. Don't remove it. He's going to live on through you... I'm making no sense..."

I brought the book with me as I chose to sit next to him. "It makes perfect sense, Dimitri. Well, at least to me. And that's all that matters." I brought my hands up to touch his cheeks and gently wiped away his tears with my thumbs. One warm hand of his encompassed my left wrist and moved it so he could play with the bangle.

"He had remarkable taste..."

I did a double take at his words. "You can't mean...?"

Dimitri shook his head. "I'll never be too sure, but the way he spoke about you after you left? I'm not so sure how purely familial his view of you was."

"That's just... awkward?"

Dimitri's sorrowful brown eyes searched mine as if looking for some kind of anchor. "If you saw what he left to you in his will, then yeah, awkward."

"Momma? Mr 'Mitri? Who 'he'?" _Oh, baby girl. If only you could've met Ivan Zeklos._

"Your Uncle Ivan. He... went to heaven a couple of months ago. He was like a brother to Momma and Mr 'Mitri."

"You know how Aunty Lissa is your Momma's best friend? Well, your Uncle Ivan was mine. He was my Moroi like Aunty Lissa is your Momma's."

"Momma miss Uncle Ivan?"

"Very much so, baby girl. Very, very much so. But I think Mr 'Mitri misses him more."

"Not so much with you two girls around," admitted Dimitri with a sad smile and again choked back tears.

"Should we-"

"Don't even think about thinking about it, Rose. Back to theory or you'll be at school for another year."

"Must you know what buttons to push?"

Dimitri chose to ignore me and focus on teaching Jenée the Russian he won't teach me.

Two hours later I had knocked over three mini-quizzes and was allowed to take Jenée with me to the commons for breakfast. Dimitri had informed me he was going to keep quizzing me in the mornings until he had proof I had absorbed the theory and was ahead of my class. It meant they kept getting longer. The first one had been one multiple choice question, a short answer, and an extended paragraph: straight recall, basically. The second quiz had built on it and wanted me to link the concepts. The third had built on it again and wanted me to justify a link between the three concepts. Three questions had gone up to six, then up again to ten. The multiple choice and short response questions somehow got more complex as well. Whomever had written those quizzes was a meanie. I'm pretty sure that translated into the lone two Russian words I _did_ know: _Dimitri._ _Belikov_. _To think that was only the beginning of my torture!_ There was five quizzes for each term I'd lost. That was fifty quizzes minimum! Close to a month of sitting tests each morning. Yeah, he was going to make me feel the heat of missing so much specific training and school. I didn't doubt he'd be able to come up with so many different quizzes, none of which I would be able to flunk. None of them would give me easy points.

When I arrived at the door of my second period theory with Stan a stiff looking five-nothing guardian with cropped red curls stood there. I instinctively pushed Jenée behind Dimitri when I spotted her. There at the door to my theory class stood the one person I least wanted to see, the one I least wanted Jenée to meet. Janine Hathaway. My mother had made an appearance.

"Really? You couldn't help interrupting my class?"

"Hello to you too, Rosemarie. And I didn't think you cared about class seeing as you skipped two and a half years of them."

"Dimitri, take Jenée away."

"It's Guardian Belikov. Morning, by the way, and don't you dare listen to her."

"Morning, Guardian Hathaway. With all due respect, Jenée's movements are under Rose's jurisdiction." Dimitri turned and crouched to Jenée's level. "Do you want to stay with your Momma or come for a walk with me?"

Jenée looked between me, my mother and Dimitri and back again three times before deciding. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "You, Mr 'Mitri." She was far too cute sometimes. The way she had so immediately attached herself to him and how readily he had taken her under his wing made my heart ready to burst with love and joy.

"Rose?" asked Dimitri as he stood with her on his hip. She'd been practically glued there the past 24-36 hours.

"Momma?"

"Yes, Dimitri. And go on, Jen."

"Thanks, Momma."

"Ah, hold on just one second, missy." I tapped my cheek, "Where's Momma's kiss?"

She leant down and kissed my cheek. "Love you, Momma."

"Momma loves you too, Jenée." I returned the kiss on her cheek and then Dimitri led her away.

"How old is she?" Did that _**have**_ to be the first question out of her mouth?

"27 months as of tomorrow. Anything else?"

I was going to put my foot into it, I could just feel it. Her next question was going to be the one I hated. _Or did my mother even care?_ My own father seemed to be nothing more than a sperm donor and I had to wonder how 'Darwin' she'd gone when having me. She'd been twenty when I was born, and I'd thought that was old... until I'd had Jenée at fifteen while on the run. I was a child rearing a child and protecting my best friend from threats inside and outside the gates of the Academy.

"Who's her father, Rosemarie?"

"Does it matter?" _It absolutely did, to me and Jenée it absolutely did._ No one besides me and Lissa could know- not even her father. No one knowing mattered more than who he was in the first place. She now had her father-figure in Dimitri, even if she didn't realise it. That was enough for me... for now. I think.

"Of course it does! You're a child with a child, of course it matters!"

"So? I don't know my father!" I hissed quietly. "Nearly no dhampir does. Anyway, isn't that what we're supposed to do? Have babies to create more guardians?"

"Not without being one first. You don't have the life-experience for it!"

"Don't. You. **Dare**. Call. Jenée. An. It!" I growled out protectively. "In case you haven't realised, she's _your_ granddaughter. But I can have that rectified easily enough. Just like you handed custody of me over to the Academy, I can have her connection to you dissolved. If you think she's that shameful and harmful to your career."

For once, Janine Hathaway looked taken aback. She hadn't been prepared for my verbal backlash. Honestly, I hadn't been prepared for it either. But she had completely ignored the fact Jenée; A) had a name, and B) was her own sentient being. I was an over-protective mother. I always had been and always will be. I _have_ to be. For her well-being, I _have_ to be this overprotective.

"You can't always coddle her, Rose."

"I'll always try. I _have_ to always try."

"She'll be better off if you don't."

I scoffed. "You did that to me, and look what happened. Look at where we are now. Where were we when I was her age? Huh? She was born on the run and yet I've still managed to give her a childhood like Lissa had. She's only had me and Lissa until yesterday, but we've given her a sense of family despite it all." _If only I could tell you about Jenée's father's family... If only I could tell_ _ **her**_ _about his family._ "I will always try to make sure her time with me is memorable for all the right reasons. I want her to know I love her no matter what."

"And what about when your job kills you? What happens to her then?"

"Then she has Lissa, Mason, and Eddie, even Dimitri. She'll know I loved her and did all I could to make sure she knew it."

"And what about her pain? Emotional connections are a dangerous game in the guardian life."

"Don't tell me what I already know. I know they can help or hinder. Pain is a part of life, but I'd rather she know I did my best and didn't let my age stop me from trying and loving her." _Why was I even bothering trying to explain this to her?_ "I have class, Mom. If you want to play an active part in my and my daughter's life, stay and I'll properly introduce you two at lunch. But if you'd rather leave your reputation 'untarnished', leave, leave now and don't expect to be introduced to her if or when you return."


	9. Family drama Part 2

Janine'sPOV

 _Why did she have to be just like her father? So stubborn with roundabout logic? Why'd she have to make sense? And why did she have to hit my sore points?_

I watched apprehensively as she entered her theory class. She seriously had herself convinced I didn't love her, that I hadn't tried to look after her. I would say she was suffering from a typical teenage sense of abandonment... only it wasn't quite so typical. It was extreme thanks to being a teen mother. _What more could she want? To be raised in a blood whore commune with my cousins?_ I doubted that. She had her heart set on guarding- the whole world knew that, the whole world linked her name with Princess Dragomir's. But there was a part of her that wanted a family and the prevalence of that part was what scared me.

"Where's Rose, Hathaway?" I heard Belikov call as I started walking away. Turning back around I was met with the sight of Rose's mini-me curled up on his shoulder.

"Rose is in class." I nodded at the door. "So why are you burdened with Rose's mistake?"

"I wouldn't call Jenée a mistake, Hathaway. Maybe ill-timed, but not a mistake. And she's hardly a burden either."

I wanted to roll my eyes- he sounded as protective as Rose. "That doesn't answer the question, Belikov."

"It's just until a timetable can be arranged for her." Now that caught my attention and my brow quirked. "You're best off asking either Rose or the Headmistress why I was chosen as babysitter."

"She's been enrolled?" _Hypocrite much, Rosemarie?_

"It's a condition of Rose's continued enrolment." I wasn't sure what to make of that. Rose had done many a reckless thing, but to the point of her own hope of graduation relying on her child being enrolled? I couldn't understand what had become of my live-wire, bouncing baby girl.

"She's so placid," I commented randomly as eyed Jenée. "If it weren't for looking exactly like Rose did at her age, I wouldn't think she was Rose's."

Belikov gazed at the tiny child attached to him. His face was set in a speculative expression. "Hmm. She is placid. She's also just as stubborn. She's certainly shy unless she trusts you- then she's just as much of an attention-stealer."

Belikov's brief description replayed in my mind, causing me to be curious enough to stay. I wanted to play a bigger role in Rose's life, and I wanted to know my granddaughter. There was something about her... I mightn't like how young her mother had her, being her grandmother at only 37 might- _does_ \- scare me, but Jenée just had Something about her that no one could deny. Something that meant wanting to give her attention was something no one could deny.

At lunch Rose fed Jenée at the table with her novice friends while introducing us. "Mom, meet your granddaughter: Jenée Luca Hathaway. Jen, sweetie, your grandmother, Janine Hathaway. Say _hi_ , baby girl."

Jenée lifted her eyes away from her mother and looked at me. She grimaced before smiling sweetly and waving. "Hi," she said timidly.

"Hi, Jenée..." _What did I do next? What did I say? What did I even want her to call me? Too many questions! I was_ _ **too young**_ _for Grandma, Gran or Granny, but not comfortable enough to be her Nana or Nan._

Jenée returned her focus to her food and her mother.

"What am I?" I whispered to Rose in desperation. "I'm too young to be a grandmother!"

Rose stifled a laugh. "Mom, what do you want to be to her? You're her only grandparent, so you're going to have to set your age aside. Had you asked me four years ago if I'd be a Mom to a two year old who's always calling me _Momma_ at all hours of the day and night while I was still in Senior and happy about it, I would have tried to have you admitted to a mental hospital. But that's what eventuated and I'd have it no other way. You adjust, so pick a label and own it like you've owned Guardian Hathaway."

 _Since I made a mess of Mommy to you..._


	10. Week 1 wrap up Part 1

DPOV

Over the following collection of days after Janine's visit I observed a few crucial changes in Rose and Lissa's behaviour. One was that after all the effort Rose had put into making a powerful return and clawing her way back up to her alpha-female-dhampir role, she seemed resigned to run beside Lissa with her approach of avoiding the powerful royal cliques. They both started falling off the social radar and were seemingly happy it. Not too surprising given Rose had so many hours of training and bookwork with me on top of looking after Jenée. Jenée herself had a mini-timetable by Saturday night.

"So, she's going to Ms Carmack for first period... That'll be interesting."

"Yeah, it will be. Who's got her next?" I was as reluctant as Rose to let Jenée out of my sight.

Rose grinned like there was no tomorrow... well, no school tomorrow. "Alberta. She has Alberta for a double."

Given Petrov's hectic schedule that was one hell of a sacrifice. "How's she going to cope?"

"Who? Jenée? Or Alberta?"

"Petrov, Rose. Jenée's a live-wire prone to tantrums in those hours if she doesn't nap in them, so of course I mean Petrov."

"I know my daughter, Comrade. I also happen to know Alberta can deal with kids far worse than Jen."

"There's an art to handling her."

Rose smirked. If we weren't on campus I'd take great pleasure in kissing that sexy smirk off her face. "Yeah, that's because she's _**my**_ two year old."

"Possessive," I muttered in Russian.

"I heard that, Dimitri. I don't know what it means, but I heard it."

"I'm not taking back the truth."

"Neither would I. Now, I have to pick her up from..."

"Who?" I didn't need to ask, judging by the look on her face. "Alto?"

She nodded absentmindedly, focusing on calming down. "Yeah."

"I could switch...?"

Rose shook her head. "You still have her in the last two classes before training, I couldn't ask you to do that."

"She's so sweet, Rose, I'd be more than happy to look after her all day, everyday."

Rose simply shook her head stubbornly. "You need to work. I'm running you ragged with our trainings, so the least I can do is let you have breaks from her so you can nap when you're not on duty."

"And what about you? I'm the one running these sessions again, on top of your class hours. Don't tell me you're not going to feel the effects mentally."

"I'm used to always running around after her from two or three in the morning until seven/ eight/ nine at night. I'm used to worrying about her while in classes. I'm used to cramming in homework and training in the early hours of the morning and late in the afternoon. You're not. Let me worry about her while you worry about Lissa and my graduation."

"I can't not worry about her," I murmured in Russian, "not when she feels like she's my daughter." As impossible as it is. Jenée had worked her way into my heart with a simple smile and I couldn't retrieve the piece of my heart that she'd stolen for herself. I didn't want to.

The next day I spotted Rose at Sunday mass with Jenée. For a toddler, Jenée really was placid, so much so it was almost worrisome. Then she'd have these moments when she was so Rose all over again and I would relax. She was a normal two year old and I could calm down. None of those type of moments came during mass today.

One thing that hit me as different, odd almost, was how Rose participated in communion... with Jenée being blessed just before she took the bread- also known as the host. _Had Lissa converted her?_ In the whole time I'd known Rose, not once had Lissa intentionally tried to convert her... _so what was different now?_ As far as I'd ever known she'd only gone to church for the social factor or the quiet, private location to reflect on how her life was and it was to turn out.

So it came to me as a greater surprise still when after mass Jenée skipped up to me as much as she could for a toddler. Rose had sent her my way while she hung back to talk with the priest-a Moroi man in his forties named Father Andrew. Again, out of character for her. Regardless, I took Jenée with me as I headed towards the guardian lounge for some food. I hadn't a clue what meal Jenée was up to today, but it was likely closer to lunch for her than breakfast. As soon as we stepped inside the room all eyes turned to her and she didn't miss a beat turning shy and hiding behind my leg. Something, someday would have to be done about that, but for now she had every right to be an overwhelmed toddler.

"Are you hungry, Miss Jenée?" I asked as I scooped her up and walked her over to the spread of food that never seemed to end. "Do you want some fruit or a banana yogurt from the fridge?" Petrov had pulled a number of strings to have a supply of toddler-appropriate food brought in here. I think she had done it because she had noticed me coming in for food at hours that only Jenée could possibly have inspired me to be in here at.

"'Nana yog!" she quietly cheered in my ear. Her obsession with food was one thing that reassured me she was Rose's toddler... that that obsession pertained to healthy food however, once more left me wondering who her father was.

"Magic word?" I asked in Russian, then again in English.

"Please!" she replied cutely in Russian and English. I still didn't know why I was teaching Jenée Russian, but it just felt right somehow. I could have been teaching her for the sake of speaking it to someone who would come to understand it, but I think it was because some instinctual part of me felt obligated to. That same instinct that drove my need to protect her.

"Russian? Really Belikov?" asked Emil as he took Jenée off me so I could eat too. "You know how Rose feels about you not teaching her." Jenée had taken to Emil, but only just since she often was around when I was talking to him.

"Rose only wants to swear. Besides, a second language would benefit you, won't it, Miss Jenée?" Rose's daughter giggled before I returned my attention to Emil. "She's not guaranteed to have a charge who speaks English... or one that speaks it well. We all know that."

Emil nodded. "Yeah, we do. I just can't see this cutie being a guardian."

"She's Rose's, so she's going to do some very serious damage once trained. There's something special about her, I know, but that's not going to stop her from being a guardian."

Emil studied Jenée for a few moments as she ate quietly before responding. "She's the kind of cute and quiet that makes you think she's harmless," he said decisively.

"For now, she is. But it won't be long."

"No. It won't."


	11. Week 1 wrap up Part 2

RPOV

I was surprised to see Lissa had hung back after mass to wait for me to finish talking to Father Andrew about 'Shadow Kissed' Anna. Sure, I'd paid attention today but that didn't stop me from being confused. The last thing I needed was exactly what I got: homework from the priest. Still, I accepted the book and task he handed me with a nod and smile, determined to clear up my confusion.

"Homework," she teased, knowing how much I hated it.

"I hope it answers a few of my questions," I muttered and reached to open the door.

"I saw you send Jenée off with him."

"She asked!" I huffed while stepping through the door in the guarded manner I hadn't dropped since first going on the run. When something wet and slushy landed on me I pushed Lissa back inside by shutting the door so I could take the brunt of the onslaught falling from the overhang. A laugh that might as well have been an evil cackle sounded from just to my left. Tiny, blond-ringlets and a doll-like face was creating the sound. Along with her little posse of sidekicks. Her boyfriend- a nice enough Moroi and Lissa's ex, named _Aaron_ \- was the only one not laughing. He still had a soft spot for Lissa I'm sure, and with that came a certain level of respect for me- evidenced by the pity and apology I found in his eyes. For a second I wasn't sure whether or not I should go all _Mom_ on a certain Mia Rinaldi or just react like a normal teen. I did something in between. I stalked over and glared dangerously at her. "You mess with Lissa and you mess with me," I threatened in an all too sweet voice. I knew how to talk to kids, and she was no exception despite only being a year younger than me and Lissa.

"You hurt me and you lose your precious daughter," sneered Mia.

"You threaten Jenée and so help you, I promise you won't be able to practice magic for over a month and a half."

"I hit a sore spot." That elicited a collection of 'ohh's from Mia's sad group of minions.

I ground my teeth together and returned to safely let Lissa out.

"Whatever it is, don't let it get to you."

"I'm not. Hence why we're going to drop you off at your dorm."

"Oh Rose," called Mia. "I wonder if you heard about Abby and Xander Badica's guardian?"

Slowly, I turned around. "Yes, I have. How are they dealing with it? How are they feeling about it?"

I knew _exactly_ how they'd be feeling. They'd be feeling the way I never wanted Lissa to feel because of my love for Dimitri. They way Dimitri hadn't ever wanted Ivan to feel because of his love for me. Abby and Xander's guardian had resigned to marry another guardian. Flings at school between novices and even casual ones between guardians were seen as acceptable- just barely. But when two guardians ran off and got married things became embarrassing for the Moroi they were giving up guarding. It was seen as pointless and stupid for guardians to 'invest' in a 'proper relationship' with each other since dhampirs couldn't have children together. It was shameful for two guardians to abandon duty for love, to shrink the already understaffed ranks.

But I knew that when that love was true and irrevocable it was worth fighting for and investing in. I'd already fought that battle, I'd already tried to deny my love for Dimitri, but it hadn't been worth it in the end. Our love was too strong, so we were doing all we could to have it all despite how much we had going against us. Age, mentorship, guardian status, not even Jenée could split us up. We were now both Lissa's guardians, but we both already knew what was going to happen there come graduation.

Soon enough I was in the lobby of the novice dorms and sitting across from Mason at a secluded table. _Damn probation._

"Wanna help a 'damsel' in distress?" I dropped the massive book from the priest on the table.

"What the?" asked Mason as he eyed off the object.

"Homework from Father Andrew. I want to unravel the secrets of this 'Shadow Kissed' Anna woman."


	12. New shock from an old foe

DPOV

A fortnight passed where Rose, Lissa and Jenée all fell into their new routines and found new places in the pecking order. I knew Rose well enough by now to tell she wasn't telling me what she was doing when I wasn't around. And she _was_ up to something or up to some kind of research into something or other- as impossible as it sounds. Rose _hated_ reading and researching with a vengeance.

Jenée was learning to trust her other babysitters. We were all telling her the basic stories that were essentially our histories. It wasn't uncommon for parents to be teaching the same things to their children when at Jenée's age.

Meanwhile, Rose was trying to fly 'under the radar'. Jenée's existence made it difficult but not an impossible or unreasonable goal, given the diminishing novelty of the baby, and of Rose taking Lissa on the run. Though enough intrigue still remained and kept attention solidly on Rose.

Rose was constantly fighting for control, but her nature still meant she played up to certain types of attention.

Lissa, now her situation was an interesting one. Her classmates talked about her simply because the last Dragomir wasn't running in the school's most elite royal cliques. Many of whom just came to accept she was content enough to run with Natalie Dashkov's group. Natalie was Victor's suck-up daughter and an innocent, talkative teen. How Rose and Lissa put up with her is beyond me.

Now, as for a problematic girl called Mia Rinaldi, I knew how they dealt with her. Lissa ignored her and just stood there silently, taking whatever verbal flack Mia was giving her. Rose, she did her usual thing of threatening the petite child-like Moroi girl who sported blonde ringlets. Those threats only occurred when Jenée wasn't around. The threats also couldn't be followed through on, though it didn't stop Rose from making them. She really was dangerous and had a dangerously strong character- it was a major reason why I loved her.

Rose was handing in her third quiz for the morning when her eyes suddenly glazed over. She was "in Lissa's head", as she called it. She had only spaced for a millisecond before she sprinted from the gym. No, she was quicker than just sprinting. I scooped up a confused Jenée and ran after Rose. Right to the Moroi dorms Lissa was in, where the girls met in the lobby, where Rose encased a sobbing Lissa. I could see from Jenée's expression she wanted to go hug Lissa too, but didn't want to upset her mother either. I placed her on her feet and kept an eye out for the danger, whatever that actually was.

That danger I soon enough learned was a fox on Lissa's bed. But not just any fox, a dead one. _Murdered_ would be a more accurate way to describe the gruesome scene of blood and gore that lay in front us. Lissa looked pale and about to faint, Jenée was ready to be sick and Rose just looked worried yet resolute under that façade of calm and neutrality. Rose also appeared unsure and torn as to which girl needed more care right now. Lissa looked from Jenée to Rose pointedly. With a repressed sigh Rose left Lissa in my care while she handled Jenée's needs. In the time she was gone the room Lissa shared with Victor's daughter filled quickly with adults such as the dorm matron. Just after Rose slipped back in- without Jenée- Kirova entered the scene.

As I fell into an observer role I couldn't help overhearing how Rose was helping Lissa cope. Or so I had assumed.

"It was still moving!" Lissa cried softly.

A hard expression crossed Rose's face as she responded. "Did you...?"

 _Damn_ , she was getting good at hiding things from me.

"No. I tried... I wanted to... I started to, but-"

 _What was it Lissa had started? What was it Rose wouldn't name?_ Knowing Rose was hiding things from me was infuriating; I seriously felt as though she didn't trust me anymore. _What was so bad that she felt she couldn't come to me? What was she dealing with that she felt she had to be that self-reliant?_

Soon enough though I was told to remove Rose and escort her to class. Beside me her posture was stiff and her hands were clenched, as if she was ready to punch the next person she saw. Which, knowing her and that her next class was a combat one, was likely something she would do. By the time we neared the gym I couldn't stand her silence. Silence and Rose Hathaway do not mix to the point it was a bad omen if she was silent for too long.

"Rose, you know something, don't you? Is this why you ran? Is this what you didn't talk to me about earlier? Who would do it? Or why?"

Rose spun on me with her brown eyes daring me to challenge her. "I don't know anything!" There was something unnaturally cold in her voice, and her eyes were darker than even fury should make them. I knew she was lying, both by the way she had been talking earlier and the way her face was set with her eyes not quite meeting mine.

"Rose," I warned. "You're lying. I know you are so don't think of trying to convince me otherwise."

"I'm not lying!" she insisted. That look was still in her eye, the one that told me she wasn't thinking clearly. I was not going to let her near her classmates let alone Jenée until she'd calmed down.

"Well you're not telling the entire truth either," I replied calmly and started leading her off-campus. "And until you calm down I'm not letting you near the others or Jenée."

"I'm perfectly fine," she huffed. I bit back my 'I'm not buying it,' response and instead let her know by continuing towards the forest.

Once we were covered enough by trees I took her hand, spun her around and pulled her close to me. My hands went to cup her face and I let my guard down, I let her see for herself all the emotions she would normally uncover anyway.

"Roza, _**please**_."

"I can't tell you what I don't know, Dimitri." The more... dare I say almost _possessed_ look in her eye slowly ebbed away, her usual fire and sparkle just as slowly reappeared.

"Then tell me what you do know."

"What I do know I don't know how to explain." Rose was begging me with tears in her eyes to let it drop. _But how could I? How could I let it drop when it was hurting her? How could I when she was hurting because our charge was?_

"Try, Rose," I pleaded while bringing my forehead down to rest on hers. "I want to help you. I can't stand seeing you in such pain. I can't stand the thought that you won't trust me... that you _don't_ trust me."

"It's your job to betray me on this, though," her voice wavered as a tear tried to escape and roll down her cheek. "And if I tell you then I'm betraying her, Dimitri. I can't do that, she's my sister."

"Rose," I tried to reason. _But how was just saying her name reasoning?_

"They come first, Dimitri, you know that."

 _Goddamn it, woman! Stop being so stubborn._ We dhampir are likened to mules because we can't procreate together, but Rose was being as stubborn as one too right now. Completely immovable. "And I thought you'd chosen all those years ago-"

"That's exactly it, Dimitri!" Rose yanked out of embrace and stepped away. I hated the distance between us. I always hated when there was space between, but more so in this context. It hurt like a bitch, and from the look in Rose's eyes I could see it was hurting her too. "That was before I knew what being bonded meant! That was before I knew being bonded was more than just my being bound with hers. That was before I knew being bonded meant my loyalties are bound to her, whether or not I agree with _they come first_ , because _she_ does, _she_ comes first and there's nothing I can do to change it. If I have to choose between you and Lissa, my decision has been made for me. _**By. HER**_ _._ "

I felt like I'd been slapped and had to step back from the force. My chest burned as though she'd punched a hole it, reached through and ripped my heart from its place, just as it had felt when she'd disappeared. I had just gotten her back! _She can't do this, can she? She doesn't really believe it, does she?_

We stood there staring into the other's eyes for who knows how long before I ripped my gaze away. It hurt too much to look at my soulmate when she didn't want to choose love again, when she wouldn't listen to me. With a shake of my head I turned around and walked away. She could find her own way back to class and come up with her own excuses because I certainly wasn't going to cover for her when she clearly didn't appreciate my efforts. I didn't need to put up with her if she was going to be an ungrateful little bitch.


	13. Aftershock

RPOV

I stood in the thick of the woods surrounding the Academy, staring after Dimitri. I couldn't tell him about it, I couldn't tell _anyone_. But I also couldn't get that look of heartache and grief out of my head. _Why did I have to say that to him? Why did I have to give the impression that I was_ _ **choosing**_ _not to love him?_ _ **Choosing**_ _not to confide in him?_ Okay, that last one was true, but it was only because I couldn't. I didn't understand half the things going on with Lissa, me, and Jenée, so _how on earth was I meant to explain_ _ **that**_ _to Dimitri?_ I didn't have the facts I knew he'd want. I didn't even know where to begin to find half the facts or theories he'd desire. Not to mention it was his prerogative as a guardian and teacher to disclose the kinds of worries I had. So, I was left with two choices and neither were good.

I stalked off to class. When I arrived in the gym there was only twenty minutes of class left. But they didn't go to waste and judging by the expressions on the others' faces if looks could kill mine was apparently doing as much damage as my punches and kicks. I was still burning with anger and anyone who dared spar with me was annihilated almost instantaneously. There were moments when I didn't know if my opponent was the one physically present, myself, that doll-like psycho-angel called Mia Rinaldi, or the unidentified animal murderer and stalker of Lissa. All I knew in those moments was that there was threats I had to be ready to kill or incapacitate with not even half a moment's notice.

I went from class to class with stiff or limping novices around me, overhearing all the rumours about the fox. Let me say this, when the Moroi start and morph rumours, the result is _**never**_ pretty. As was evidenced when I was at lunch with Lissa in the commons. Because of the graphic nature of the rumours I had reluctantly talked to Dimitri to have him sequester Jenée away in the guardian lounge over lunch break. It wasn't such a hard deal to strike since she was going from Alberta to Emil anyway. Relief flooded through me before guilt took ahold of me again when Dimitri didn't let our fight or whatever it was stop him from happily agreeing to look after Jenée over the lunch hour.

I pulled a green-as-her-grass-colored-sweater Lissa away from the table where Natalie was milking the attention for all it was worth. I immediately let my tongue wag, releasing a string of obscenities and expletives regarding Natalie's horrendous social skills. I knew she craved attention from her father, but she had seemed contented with the lack of attention from other royals and commoners alike. Not only was she spreading gossip about Lissa right in front of the victim of the mind game, she was also making it seem that much more gruesome than it had in fact been. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Mia was thriving off the pain Lissa was suffering. I wasn't so sure if psycho-angel doll was the one behind this attack or not, but what I did know is that she revelled in anything that caused Lissa pain, even if she wasn't at the heart of it. Mia seemed to fight her enemies with words and gossip, be it starting or spreading aforementioned gossip, so I was warily sceptical of my suspicions of her being the culprit. But I didn't have any other choice, really, since Lissa had become largely invisible to all the people I would have suspected before we had gone on the run.

In _animal behaviour_ that afternoon Mia caused a major disruption in order to further torment Lissa. The focus of the class had been on wolves, in particular the dominance of the alpha. Mia insisted upon badgering our teacher about whether or not foxes had a similar pattern of behaviour. Mia was all about psychological warfare, and with words at that. Then Ralf Sarcozy started adding to it. That was when Christian Ozera snapped.

Lissa could deny it to herself and me all she wanted but I knew there was something going on between those two. Especially given he was sent to Kirova for offensively using fire magic to defend Lissa's honor. Lissa was awed by his control over the element he'd specialised in. Yeah, 'nothing going on' was a load of bull.

I approached her after class and confronted her about it again. It did not end well. I might not like or trust him but I liked her denial of affection for him even less.

"Thanks," I snorted. "If I hadn't thought or acted that way regarding _him_ then you wouldn't have a niece you love to bits."

Then she snapped back with something I had _never_ expected. "I shouldn't have a niece whose mother is my age. I shouldn't have a niece whose _mother_ is too _weak_ to confess she made a _mistake_ , too _immature_ to take _responsibility_ for her actions, and too _**selfish**_ to tell Jenée's _**father**_."

"You don't get a say in that, Lissa."

"Then you're just like your mother."

"I'm nothing like my mother," I spat, turned away and stormed off towards the gym.


	14. Damage control

DPOV

I gave Rose a chance to be five minutes late for afternoon training. But ten minutes passed of me entertaining Jenée and Rose not showing. So, I decided I'd go looking for her. I barely had to step into the cool air just outside the gym before I spotted her on the track. She was running around the loop as if her life depended upon it. I looked down at Jenée who was by my leg and barely reaching above my knees with her tiny form and short height. I couldn't very well leave Rose to running laps for two hours, but I wasn't sure she'd be safe sparring or using the dummies.

"What are we going to do about your mother?" I asked in Russian.

Jenée sent me a curious and eager look. It was as if to say, 'where's my translation?'.

I repeated it in English before returning my attention to Rose. Who I noticed, when I stepped closer, had tears streaming down her face. Her voice carried through the cooler, stiller fall air to my sensitive ears. She was repeating angry mutters about hating Lissa being right, about how she was too weak to confess to something or other, and about how she never should have told her in the first place. One look at Jenée and I knew her younger ears had picked up something mine hadn't. Tears ran down her face as she bolted from my sight. _Great._ Now two Hathaway girls were running in tears and I was the one left to deal with both.

"Rose, get inside and work on the machines," I ordered before racing after Jenée.

Where Jenée was headed I didn't know. But it didn't take long for me to catch up to her and scoop her into my arms. Jenée cuddled into my chest and clung to me by my neck as she started blubbering about how her Mom didn't love her. In Russian I soon realised. She was stringing together and repeating a four word sentence in Russian about her mother not loving her. _Was that really true?_ From what I had witnessed that seemed impossible. Rose would die for Jenée so _what had Rose been muttering that gave Jenée the impression she was going unloved?_

"I'm sure that's not true," I cooed. "I know your Momma, Jenée, and she loves you so much, so, so much."

The only response I got was a huff, more tears and her asking after her father. When I didn't tell her because I didn't have anything I could tell her she got mad. In Russian and English she asked about who her daddy was, where he was and why didn't daddy love her either.

It was heart wrenching to sit on one of the benches that overlooked the quad with Jenée clinging to me and hear her sobbing about her parents. Most dhampir kids who had a guardian as their mother went through this stage of feeling unloved and abandoned, because their mother was never around and their Moroi father either didn't know of the child or simply did not care. I felt horrible for the baby in my arms, because her own mother was feeling exactly the same way and neither girl knew their father. I was sure Rose was being kept in the dark by Janine, since Janine didn't strike me as the kind of dhampir woman to not know who had fathered her child.

The question was, was Janine also keeping Rose's father out of the loop like Rose was Jenée's? The one thing I really wanted to know was not who Jenée's father was, but why Rose was so sensitive about it. Why did Rose feel the need to keep it secret?

Jenée eventually fell asleep in my arms, exhausted from the tears. I returned to the gym to find Rose annihilating the dummies.

"Rose, enough," I firmly ordered in a whisper.

Rose gave no sign of hearing me.

"Rose, stop."

She only grunted and kept going.

"Roza, stop, you're only hurting yourself."

Dripping with sweat and panting like a pug- an extremely, irresistibly attractive and sexy pug, _I_ _ **so**_ _shouldn't be thinking those thoughts of her right now_ \- she turned to face me. "Di-" puff- "mi-" puff- "tri?" Puff.

"What's got you so mad you were muttering something Jenée took as you not loving her?"

Rose's eyes bugged when they landed once more on her daughter. "I... Lissa..." Rose pulled her ponytail out while tugging on her hair. "I... I had a fight with Lissa over this boy she won't confess to herself she likes and then she turned it back on me. She called me a repeat of my mother. I'm not a repeat of her! Am I, Comrade?" The uncertainty in her eyes killed me. I couldn't believe Lissa had put that doubt in her mind.

"I'm sure you have very good reasons for your choices. I'm not going to lie, Rose, she's hurting. Jenée. Whatever she caught you saying hurt her, but I know you love her to pieces so there has to be a good reason for keeping her father out of the picture."

"Not helping, Dimitri." Tears pooled in her eyes. "I know they should know, and I do want to tell them, but I just... can't... not in this world."

"Go get some sleep, Rose. Cancel tomorrow's trainings; you need to sort things out with your daughter and her father." I extremely reluctantly handed Jenée over, feeling as though a part of my soul was being ripped from me. Jenée may not be mine genetically but I certainly loved her as if she were.


	15. Nearly a month

DPOV

Over the next twenty-four hours Rose had managed to get Jenée back in her good books. Though when Rose came to pick Jenée up from my shift babysitting Jenée, the look on Rose's face told me she hadn't sorted out the issue of Jenée's father. It was a weight on Rose's shoulders she didn't need, yet she was hesitant to lift the stress, it was as if she wanted it. It was almost as if she was taking it as her punishment... or something close to.

"How did classes go?"

"You need to stop stressing over me Dimitri. But if you _must_ know, Lissa isn't talking to me other than by passing notes and Mia threatened Jenée after taking pleasure in Lissa still being the victim of gossip. Now, can I go?"

After studying her hard, soulful brown eyes I nodded once. I really didn't want to let them leave, but Rose was determined to keep me out and deal with things herself. Her determination to be self-reliant was both endearing and **infuriating**. _When was she going to learn to accept help? Again._

Two Moroi nights later I finished Rose's training early because I was on duty for the All Saints' Day assembly and visit from the queen. I had successfully gotten permission for Rose to also attend, but Jenée had to be by my side not in her mother's arms. In my opinion that was totally unfair, but Kirova had argued Rose was less likely to draw unwanted attention to herself if she didn't have a baby in her arms or on her lap. Jenée was just as likely to distract me from my job, but I accepted anyway because Rose had earned a night off after the hours she'd put into training and catching-up on theory with me, and looking after Jenée and Lissa in the past month.

Once I was showered and dressed in my formal black-and-white guardian uniform I made my way to Rose's dorm to collect Jenée. Honestly, with the Rose and I traded-off looking after Jenée it was a wonder rumours hadn't started that I was filling in the role of Jenée's father. Then again, they were too pre-occupied with politics or Lissa being targeted.

When Rose opened the door my mouth nearly hung agape. It truly took all my control to stop my jaw from going slack. She was hardly in formalwear but that only added to the mouthwatering sight before me. In her dressy red sweater and appropriately dressy dark-blue skinny jeans I could see all her curves and just wanted to rip them off her. _It wouldn't be the first time..._

It also wouldn't be the first time I was caught out either. Rose smirked knowingly before turning away to collect her daughter. Jenée came bounding to the door. Rose had given her a bath judging by the two wet French braids. I couldn't help the smile that pulled up my lips when I noticed she was dressed in black leggings and a dress that was white with horizontal black stripes. Her little shoes were also a plain black and she sported a black jacket.

Rose laughed. "Behave, Jenée. And Comrade? Try to make sure my daughter there doesn't stand out. I didn't go to the effort of dressing her in black and white to attract the spotlight."

"I promise, Rose." I returned my attention to the toddler in my arms. "Where's Momma's kiss?"

Jenée leaned away from me and pecked Rose's cheek.

"Love you, baby girl."

"Love you, Momma." She really was far too sweet for her own good.

The assembly and reception for Queen Tatiana occurred in the remarkably well transformed commons. Per tradition and protocol the décor was colored with the Ivashkov's red. The tablecloths were red, the flowers were red, the monarch's family crest banners were red. To me, it was overkill and a significant waste of money. But the Moroi will be the Moroi and the royals and their policies will dictate.

Clinging to my hip was an awed Jenée. Her eyes bugged and her jaw dropped as she took in change with awe and curiosity clearly radiating from her eyes.

"Whoa," she breathed.

"I couldn't have but it better myself, Née-Née," commented Emil.

"Emil!" she giggled and squirmed in my hold.

Laughing, Emil took her from me. "You are too cute for your own good, Miss mini-Hathaway."

"Jen, settle down," instructed Petrov as she took her from Emil. "Emil, don't encourage her tonight. That goes for all of you. Miss Jenée Hathaway is to be hidden in the shadows until her mother can take her back to their dorm, relatively unnoticed. Understood?" The gathered guardians nodded. "Good. Now get to your posts."

Jenée reached her arms towards me in a demanding manner and with guilt-inducing puppy-eyes. I smiled at her and collected her as she silently asked. I didn't understand why, but it just felt right somehow to have Jenée on my hip. It felt as though she belonged there at this stage of her life. Like her mother, I too never wanted her to grow up.

After the queen publicly ridiculed Lissa and Rose the assembly and reception went on. If Alexa Grey- Rose's third female classmate- hadn't held Rose back I'm sure Jenée's mother would have been arrested and in jail by now. As soon as the reception was finished Lissa bolted. Only for Rose to follow moments afterwards. By now Jenée was asleep by my feet, curled in on herself with her arms wrapped around my ankles and was using my foot as a pillow. Carefully, I lowered myself and cautiously unwrapped her. I slowly scooped her up and rested her against my chest. She wriggled and squirmed in her sleep until she was comfortable on my hip with her head resting in the crook of my neck and her little arms clutched my shirt like a blanket. With her hanging off me my formal black blazer felt far too uncomfortable, but as long as Jenée was and still asleep I was more than happy to suffer. Without being noticed, I slipped out of the banquet to find the girls and return Jenée to her mother.

When I did find them they were in an adjacent courtyard. Once more they were arguing with Mia Rinaldi. Well, Rose was, Lissa was just standing there and taking whatever it was the Mia girl was throwing at her.

"Rose," I interrupted. "Princess," I greeted.

"Hey," she smiled. "Pass her over," she demanded quietly.

"You weren't about to start a fight, were you?" I questioned while untangling Jenée from me. Well, I tried to, but her grip on my shirt tightened and she mumbled out an incoherent protest.

"No, I don't start fights where people can see them." Rose watched Jenée with amusement and resignation shining from her eyes and smile. Her head shook. "Looks like you're stuck with her for now. Anyway, we were just trading family stories. Mia's is fascinating."

"Rose," Lissa complained.

"At least I'm not the one with two year old and denying her a father or making my mentor shoulder the father's responsibilities."

"You're just jealous because I actually give Jenée attention and love."

"Rose," Lissa and I warned.

"You still have training tomorrow morning," I reminded.

Rose just turned to Lissa. "You going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine. You just focus on Jenée."

"I'm your guardian, Lissa, stop telling me where to focus."

Lissa laughed and Mia huffed and left. "If I'm your charge then I can tell you where to focus, and right now you need to focus on your daughter. I can look after myself."

Rose sent Lissa a disbelieving and sceptical look before nodding and walking away.

"You you sure you're fine, Lissa?"

"I will be, Guardian Belikov. Just keep Rose in line and watch over Jenée, please?"

I took one quick glance at the baby asleep on my shoulder before nodding. "Of course, Princess."

Lissa laughed once more. "Jenée really deserves that title. But no matter. I'll see you around, Guardian Belikov."

"Goodnight, Princess." I nodded out of respect then left and caught up with Rose. I found her just beyond the gates of the courtyard having a staring competition with my friend's nephew. Christian Ozera. Well, it wasn't so much a staring competition as it was a _glaring_ one.

"Rose, now is not the time."

"It so is. Christian Ozera, will you just make her realise she wants you already."

Christian was as good as me when it came to masking emotions and as good as any guardian at hiding his presence. So to see the shock on his face was a first. "How did you- never mind, I shouldn't have to ask. Now, can I go to her?"

"Only if you swear to start taking her out. In. Public." I knew that tone of voice she was using. She was daring him to defy her. "If you don't I'll reveal your little hidey-hole to the whole school."

"That's no way to play Cupid."

Rose grinned as if she'd just discovered she'd won a million dollars. "I'm not playing Cupid," she huffed. "I'm doing the school and you two idiots a gigantic favor."

Christian muttered something about Rose being an annoying know-it-all type mother before more clearly agreeing.

"Maybe we should add an hour in the afternoon to teach you control," I suggested as she and Christian parted ways.

"I have plenty of control."

"Sure, I'll believe that after what I just saw."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

My lips twitched upwards but I otherwise remained silent.

Sometime later I was jerked awake by my ringing phone. My first thought was that something was wrong with Rose or Jenée, heaven forbid both. With fear coursing through my veins, my heart pounding with fear and struggling to breathe, I answered. It was the dorm matron telling me Rose needed me for something urgent that wasn't getting Jenée food.

I hurriedly dressed and made my way to the lobby. Jenée was asleep on Rose's hip. There could only be one other reason Rose would wake me.

"Lissa."

Rose nodded. I turned to the dorm matron and told her I would take responsibility for Rose's midnight 'disappearance' from her dorm. Reluctantly the matron accepted and let Rose lead me to Lissa's Moroi dorm.

Once we arrived this matron also didn't want to let Rose in. Rose, however, didn't care. She handed Jenée over to me and went to find Lissa in one of the bathrooms.

After a few suspenseful moments with an ever-increasingly impatient matron standing off to my right I knocked on the door and called a warning quietly enough so Jenée didn't stir.

Just as I was thinking she could sleep through World War III, she awoke with a startled cry at the sound of the matron's sharp hiss that the dorms shouldn't be able to be breached. Rose's head whipped around at the sound and she pulled Jenée off me with surprising strength. Not that I was stopping her from taking her daughter to calm in the first place. Once Rose had taken Jenée outside I focused my attention on Lissa. She had blood on her face and was wearing the hoodie I'd seen on Rose just minutes ago.

When she explained about the mutilated rabbit then showed me I was more than glad Rose had taken Jenée outside. There was no way such a young toddler could handle the putrid sight and smell. Then came the note. The note that threatened Lissa, Rose and Jenée; the one that told Lissa to leave, and Rose to confess who Jenée's father was or else she would lose both her friend and her baby. Whether it was a death threat, abduction warning or straight blackmailing I couldn't decipher. But whichever it was, it wasn't pretty and I wasn't going to stand for it.

Lissa was admitted to the clinic to rest overnight. With Rose by Lissa's side and Jenée in my arms and asleep again I couldn't help but note how Lissa calmed with Rose beside her. When Kirova came in she started demanding answers neither friend was in a state to give. Rose, naturally went on the defensive. Of course, Kirova responded with her usual dislike for my other half and went about trying to kick her out. I spoke privately with Kirovq and reasoned using my observations. She, of course, argued if I was going to take care of Jenée overnight. I purposely missed half a beat before agreeing, so I didn't appear too attached to Jenée. Kirova allowed Rose to stay a couple of hours. By the time those hours were up so was Jenée. _Toilet training kicking-in, huh?_ Rose thanked me and requested I stay here until training time. I agreed but cancelled our morning training. That didn't mean I let her off the readings, however. I had expected complaining but was pleasantly surprised when she shrugged her shoulder that wasn't taken by Jenée's head, and agreed.

Why it was always the clinic that sourced rumour material was beyond me. But it did, and by first period the rabbit incident was the focus of gossip and blown way out of proportion. As usual, unfortunately. For the rest of the day Rose held her head up high, but I could tell it was taking its toll.

So, when she met Jenée and I in the gym for afternoon training it made her sit the three quizzes she was supposed to have done this morning. While I marked them I let her run off steam, but I did give her a strict time limit. When she didn't return I sent Jenée out after her as I tossed up whether or not to have Rose also do her normal conditioning. Deciding she wasn't in the right frame of mind and would only hurt herself more I settled for starting the theory work I was planning for tomorrow.

Rose reluctantly did the theory work I set for her. When she handed in the extra two quizzes our hands met as they had so many times before, but this time, not only did the warmth and electricity register with me, their roughness did too. I took ahold of them and tugged her to the floor.

"Don't move," I warned before standing and finding the store-room's first-aid kit. "What have you done to your hands, Roza?" I muttered as I sat in front of her again. Jenée was off to my right- Rose's left- coloring away in a Disney princesses book.

"Nothing," she said while looking at them as if she hadn't seen the damage to them before. Our harsh trainings and the colder weather had left them chapped, calloused and blistered, with some blisters peeling or ready to bleed. How had I let those soft hands suffer from such excruciating damage? How had I let her forget to look after them? How had I forgotten to make sure she had gloves and was wearing them? I felt like such a disappointment of a boyfriend with the guilt making my heart sink.

"Nothing?"

Her eyes met mine as I cleaned her wounds. "Does slathering moisturising and Vitamin E cream on them count?"

I sighed. "Judging by the damage, no, it doesn't. You'll have gloves by Sunday night even if it kills me."

"You don't even know what'll fit me."

"I know you better than you think, Rose." I knew what gloves would fit her. I knew what dresses would fit her tauntingly and teasingly well. I even knew what bras and undies- Focus, Belikov, and Not on That. Honestly, the dirty thoughts she could put in my mind just by being made me feel like a teenage boy with a crush and running rampant hormones.

"Then tell me what I'm thinking now."

I gazed into her lust-filled and challenging brown eyes, the ones I could get lost in so easily. My lips curled for half a second. "You're giving away the answer. You never want me to let go of these hands."

Just to make a point I carefully applied more pressure to where I was rubbing some salve into a particularly rough part of her hand. She threw her head backwards with her eyes rolling upwards, the lids fluttered shut and she bit her lip. In her attempt to hold back a moan of pleasure a very similar sound escaped her throat. Jenée looked over at us... well, me, as if to say 'What did you do to Momma?'

My mental answer would be along the lines of 'What someone did to her while making you.'

"Dimitri," Rose whined, "stop!"

"You know you don't want me to." What was she doing to my tongue! I bit my tongue and just basked in the warmth of her hands as I continued to attempt to rescue her hands.

"Dimitri?" Rose asked suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Will I have to cut my hair? When I start getting marked for my kills, will I have to cut my hair?" Her eyes pleaded with me to say no.

"Don't you dare, Roza," I growled and released her hands to run one of my hands through her gorgeously silky, darkly alluring curls that fell almost to her butt. "It's not compulsory so don't you dare touch your hair." I almost wanted to be sick at the the thought of anything sharp going near her hair.

"Possessive much?" Rose teased after gasping.

"You don't know what you do to me," I whispered in her ear before pulling away and returning to tending her hands.

"Oh? I don't know, do I? Then you forget how well I know you."

We were silent as I finished cleaning and bandaging her hands.

After curfew I headed straight to her door. The rumours had become worse while I had been babysitting Jenée and teaching her Russian. I was supposed to be teaching Jenée more about this world, but she was bombarded with it and enjoyed learning the second language.

When Rose opened the door with puffy, bloodshot eyes, tear tracks on her cheeks and birds-nest hair I didn't hesitate to pull her into my chest and push us back into her room. I kicked the door shut and was extremely grateful that Jenée didn't react. I spotted her on her toddler bed, sleeping like a baby. Rose buried herself into my chest as I ran a hand through her hair. After locking the door I swooped Rose into a cradle and carried her to her bed. I carefully laid her down and tucked her in.

"Don't leave. Please. I need you. Don't ever leave me."

"Never, Roza. Never. I promise." It wasn't really something I could promise, not in our world, but I felt nothing except absolute honesty and dedication as I removed all bar my briefs and slipped into bed with her.

I returned to my own dorm before Jenée and Rose woke. I wrote Rose a note telling her that we'd do a solid six hour block of training in the middle of the day and that I love her. The reason I moved and joined our Saturday hours was because I was going to Missoula for gloves for her. I never break a promise. When I informed Petrov she looked at me as if I had grown a second head. I didn't blame her- it was a four hour round drive and I was doing it for one item. Well, once I arrived I decided to also buy her the backbone items of a guardian's first-aid kit. Her moisturising and Vitamin E creams were doing nothing to save her hands but I bought her two massive bottles of them anyway. That way, if she decided she didn't have time to use the salve she at least wouldn't be out of something that was easy and quick to apply.


	16. Going on

DPOV

Sunday came and so did Church. Rose and Jenée were present in the few pews ahead of the last one I sat in. I barely listened to the priest as I reflected. My kill count had gone up from five to six just before Ivan had been killed and it was taking its toll.

Rose had been back at the Academy a month now, it had been three months since Ivan hadn't returned, and five months since my extra kill. It never got easier. The suffering could be pushed aside for a little while during which time other issues took priority, but in quiet times such as these there was no avoiding it, absolutely no avoiding it. Killing a Strigoi was a necessary evil in our world. The one we killed might not have their soul with them but they had at one point and it was still hard to accept you were ending their continued survival as a twisted creature, but they were a creature nonetheless and still some semblance of alive.

Six pairs of eyes appeared before me, all connected by their faces' chalky-whiteness and their red rimmed eyes. As the light faded from those red eyes once more I saw the evil leave and their former selves shoot me a look of gratitude and relief. At least, that's what I kept telling myself I saw each time my stake pierced another heart.

My curiosity got the better of me when I was hit by the question of whether or not that was how Rose coped with her kills. My head snapped up and my eyes trained in on Rose's back. Her posture stiffened before she slyly removed her messy bun, freeing her curls, and shook her hair and shoulders as if to say: _I know you're watching and I can't believe you have to ask_.

She knew, she _always_ knew what I was thinking. She didn't even have to lay her eyes on me to know where I was, to know when I was looking at her, to know when I wanted to ask her something.

I moved and so did she; she moved and so did I. We'd almost always been this way and it still scared me. _How long would it be before someone realised? How long would it be before suspicions were raised? How long would it be before we were as obvious to the outsider as I often felt we were?_

Not that I cared... well, for _**my**_ sake, anyway. I was already going to hell because of my love for her, because was _in love_ with Rose Hathaway. No, I didn't care about being caught because it would spell the end of my career, I was worried because it would spell the end of hers before her career had even started and I couldn't let that happen to her- I _wouldn't_ let it happen. She had Jenée to look after; she couldn't afford to not become the kick-ass guardian I knew she would be.

Again, after mass Rose stayed back. Rose shooed Lissa off. Jenée left with her Aunty Lissa. Once more, I wondered what it was that had Rose intrigued that she stayed behind. This made three Sundays out of four and I hoped Father Andrew was providing Rose with the guidance I was failing to.

The Rose I had met as a senior of St Vladimir's middle-school had attended mass, though not because she believed. Now, however, she listened to services with avid attention, even when I accidentally distracted her. Now, she hung off Father Andrew's every word as it could provide some kind of answer, some explanation of the meaning of life. Sermons and readings had her enraptured these days. What had happened while she had been on "vacation" with Lissa and Jenée? I couldn't imagine this significant change in Rose's beliefs was brought about simply by her kills.

By Thursday morning's training I had a summary of Rose's quiz results ready to hand over to her. It would make her happy, I was sure. She had achieved, though when it came to guarding I knew nothing less than 200 percent was good enough for her... and even then...

I had already turned in a grade report to Petrov and she was impressed. Impressed but not entirely... happy... comforted, reassured, pleased. I'd shrugged the impressed look off with the passing comment of the advantages of progressive assessments. Petrov had let her amusement show, agreeing with me.

Though she wasn't entirely happy with Rose's 84.982 percent. It was in the highest rungs of a distinction, a GPA of 6! What more could Petrov expect of Rose? The Senior had eight subjects, nearly no sleep, a daughter, at least 5 hours training a day with me, and someone else's thoughts and emotions bombarding her night and day.

I was more than proud of Rose's mark, so what more did Petrov expect! A lot, apparently. Because I was handed a folder filled with the _exact_ papers she had missed- exams _and_ assignments.

I felt dreadful knowing I had to put all this extra weight on Rose's shoulders. But I had agreed to be her mentor again and no matter how much I didn't want to put this extra pressure on her I knew I had to. Because I loved her so damn much I wanted her to prove she was worthy of the Princess, and if that meant all this extra paperwork and assessment for her then I would make her do it. I wanted- _needed_ \- Kirova and the Councils to see how talented and dedicated Rose Hathaway is. Rosemarie Hathaway would only ever be addressed as Guardian, even if getting her to graduation killed me.

"More assessment?" Rose whined when I handed over the first exam she had missed. Math, as it happened to be. It ruined what had been a happy reaction to the results of her catch-up quizzes.

"You've got the Moroi Council to placate, Rose. They're more important to please than the Guardians."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Just pass the darned thing so I can get it over with."

With a shake of the head, I handed her the test and took Jenée with me. We left Rose in the store room as she completed the math test. In the main part of the gym I had Jenée stretch and run suicides up and down the length of the floor. The toddler had too much energy this morning and I didn't want any uncharacteristic chatter to distract Rose from her assessment.

It wasn't _the_ exam to make or break Rose's future, but it contributed to all the marks in that folder. The assessment in that folder was going to determine if she got to stay at the Academy long enough to be granted the privilege of a make-up Qualifier interview. She then had to pass the Qualifier before she could continue onto participating in field experience in the spring. Field experience contributed to half her term 3 mark. I would be damned if my Roza didn't get the chance to outshine everyone in that six week simulation.

So, 25 minutes after stepping out of the store room I stepped back in and gave Rose a five minute warning. The test would normally have 10 minutes perusal time as well as being an extra 15 minutes long- totalling just under an hour in duration. But, for each year more advanced she was supposed to be, someone in admin had decided to truncate the exam by 5 minutes. So, Rose had had 15 minutes taken off the exam time, and the perusal time removed. It had left her with a half-hour math test. I knew she struggled with and hated the subject and the extra time would have been to her advantage, but the shorter timeframe would ease her frustration with the assessment. Each and every one.

"What now, Comrade?" Rose asked once I had collected the test and filed it away.

"Stretch, then give me eight laps, half-weight bench-press..." I listed off another three machines I wanted her to use and at what lighter weight.

Rose's forehead creased in confusion. _She looked incredibly kissab-_ _ **Stop**_ _, Belikov! Just_ _ **stop**_ _!_

"I want you done in 30 minutes max. I know you prefer actually training, but it's either get an entire folder of exams and assignments out of the way now or have them still hanging over your head come winter break. Pick which one you prefer."

Grumbling obscenities at me about always knowing how to push her buttons, she made her way out to the track.

As Rose worked, my attention focused back on her daughter. Jenée was calmer now. So, I had her sit beside me in the store room and started up her first Russian lesson for today. Rose still hated how I won't stop exposing Jenée to the language I refuse to teach her.

By lunch that day the entire school and its guardian ranks was discussing the Princess. Christian had finally gotten it over with and declared Lissa as his. Christian Ozera had kissed Princess Vasilisa Dragomir in public and it was an absolute scandal. Christian often kept to himself and hid in the shadows, shunned by his fellow royals. He was from the branch of the Ozera house with a not-so-respectable past. So all the royals were harping on about how he dare approach the last Dragomir. It wasn't helping Lissa's current ' _fading-out-of-the-public-eye_ ' image. Because there was ' _avoiding the game-playing_ ' then there was ' _siding with the one about to turn to the dark side_ '. It so far wasn't bothering either party. They had started meeting at meals and holding hands in public over the past 48 hours, but this had the royal rumour mills running on overdrive, about ready to overheat. I personally thought the two had more than enough in common but were still different enough to balance each other. There was potential for something to spark between them as it had between me and Rose.

Later that night, after practice with Rose, Tasha called. Tasha was my friend and Christian's aunt. She was a nice enough Moroi woman barely in her thirties, but she didn't get me like Rose did. We had tried dating when I was in Senior, but it hadn't lasted longer than a tiny handful of weeks. Once I met Rose I knew why. Tasha didn't understand or motivate me as Rose did. With Rose I always wanted to be _better_ than I was, but knew I didn't _need_ to be anything other than I _already_ was. With Rose, I didn't need to hide my grief- she would see right through to it anyway. With Rose, I felt like a teenage boy with a crush and wanted to impress her, but she was impressed by me just as I already was. With Rose, I could let my guard down, truly let it down. With Rose, I could really bare my soul.

"Hey, Dimka," Tasha cheerily greeted.

"Hello, Tasha."

"Don't sound so pleased to hear my voice!"

"I'm not displeased to finally get a call from you."

Tasha scoffed in mock offence. "That's so much better, Dimka, so much better. It's not like you couldn't have called me!"

"Well, I have been kind of busy lately."

"Oh yeah, I heard you found the girls."

"And then some," I sighed happily thinking of the cute baby bundle that went by the name of _Jenée Luca Hathaway_. "She's so adorable, Tasha, you have no idea!" I wanted to cry because I was that honored that Jenée loved me. It was a different love from her mother's, but it reached into my very soul just the same. She did. Both Jenée and Roza, _my_ Roza.

"Who, Lissa? Or Rose?"

"Jenée, Tasha."

"Jenée?" The confusion rang down the phone line... and was that a trace of _jealousy_?

"Jenée Luca Hathaway. Rose's 28 month old daughter."

"So she exists? I was beginning to think she was another rumour."

"Oh she exists, alright," I laughed.

"Shouldn't you be disappointed in Rose, though, Dimka? I mean, she's basically thrown her future away."

"If you've seen how hard Rose works to be both an excellent guardian and excellent mother?" I sighed and shook my head. "Jenée's not going to hold Rose back, no matter how many people shun her because of having a daughter so young. Jenée already has a secure spot here at St Vladimir's. And once you meet Jenée? No words can describe her. She's so placid and quiet most of the time, but she's so intelligent and observant. She looks like a baby doll version of her mother. But her behaviour has to come from her father- whomever he actually _is_. When she's not shy she is so cute she can make an entire rank of guardians smile and laugh."

"Who is she and what has she done to my Dimka?"

"Huh?" _Her Dimka? Really? If I'm anyone's I'm Roza's,_ _ **Roza's Comrade.**_

"The girl who's turning you all soft!"

"I'm always soft," I huffed.

"No you're not, Dimka. Cough up, who's making you all gooey?"

"I'm not gooey, Tasha." _So not gooey around Rose,_ _ **my**_ _Roza._

"Well you're gushing."

"Okay, okay. Jenée's in my care more than anyone else's while Rose is busy with school stuff, and she's kinda clingy with both me and Rose, and she's kind of worked her way into my heart like the daughter I'll never have."

Tasha went silent for a worryingly long time. "Who said you won't have a daughter?"

"The one who said I was going to be a guardian. Male guardians are never fathers, you know that Tasha."

"What if I said it didn't have to be that way?"

I wanted kids, but if that was what Tasha was trying to offer then I didn't want them. I wanted Rose's kids- I _wanted_ to be Jenée's daddy. I wanted to be Daddy to Jenée Luca Hathaway so much it tore me in two. If I couldn't be Daddy to Jenée then I didn't want to be a father. Rose was my other half and her daughter owned a piece of my soul, the piece that wanted kids with Rose. To me, Jenée was my daughter and that was all there was to it. I didn't care that she couldn't and didn't carry my genes, she carried Rose's- she was Rose all over again and everything I ever wanted in a baby daughter that was mine and Rose's. I wanted a daughter that was the spitting image of Rose. I had that in Jenée. Between Jenée and Rose I had everything. With Rose and Jenée I had a _family_ , I had a _home_. I mightn't be in Baia with my mother and sisters, my nephew and niece, but out here I now had a home. In Rose I had a partner for life and in Jenée I had a daughter. They were my _everything_ now and I would die to protect them like any insanely-in-love man and fiercely loyal father would do.

"What do you mean, Tasha?" I wanted her to lay her cards on the table, the cards I already knew I would reject.

"I'm offering you another chance, Dimka, another chance at us. I'm offering you a family."

"Tasha... I can't. I have the last Dragomir as my charge and Rose as my student; I can't just drop everything." _God, I was sounding suspiciously like Rose again. I smiled at the thought._

"You can always be reassigned. Please, Dimka? Think about it. You would be a brilliant father!"

I sighed. "Jenée needs me, Tasha. Rose needs me. Lissa needs me."

"Jenée and Rose have each other, as do Lissa and Rose. Oh! And you _must_ have heard there's going to be Ozera-Dragomirs!"

 _Ahh!_ So _that's_ why she was so adamant and insistent. If she already had the impression Christian and Lissa were going to get That serious then it didn't come as a surprise she wanted to talk about having kids, it just happened to be me she was willing to bug about them.

"I didn't know Lissa was already pregnant." _Please take the bait and forget about wanting my children- I don't want yours._ "Must be some glitch in the system."

"Dimka! If Lissa's already pregnant I'm going to put that boy's preciousness on the chopping block. I'm just saying, Christian rang me earlier to confirm he's officially dating the one and only Princess Dragomir. He's only been pining over the girl half his life."

The next day I was approached by Prince Victor. Ben and Spiridon hung back a ways, out of earshot but close enough to be by his side instantaneously as required.

"Guardian Belikov?"

"Prince Victor," I bowed respectfully.

"Oh, no need for formalities. I have a request for you." The Prince looked much worse for wear just outside the gym where I was about to take Jenée off Emil's hands. His hair was nearly completely grey, and looked very _brittle_ , not just simply fragile. He leaned on a cane and rested against the brick wall. His royal-cut and regal face shape was weathered by wrinkles.

"I will be most honored to do anything you ask."

"See, I'm taking Natalie and dearest Vasilisa to the mall to shop for the upcoming dance. Vasilisa has asked for our precious Rosemarie to join her. I've spoken to the Headmistress, but she will not allow her out without good reason. You spend enough time with her in your trainings and duties caring for our adorable Jenée; I wondered if you might be able to speak about how much Rosemarie has improved..." _There wasn't much to_ _ **'improve'**_ _on... except-_ _ **Not Now, Dimitri Belikov!**_

"You mean, perhaps ask if she will release Rose if the trip were to be utilised as a training exercise, Your Highness?"

It was nearly never the case a guardian held more authority than a Moroi, especially one as highly respected and ranked as Prince Victor Dashkov. Although, I can see how in this case he would resort to me as I knew more of Rose's movements and held a surprising amount of authority where she was concerned.

"Fine, but that child stays at the Academy," Kirova finally agreed.

"You know neither will have it that way. Jenée is going to cause problems if she's here alone."

Kirova glared down her beak-like nose. "She's a risk to your charge's safety- she'll distract Miss Hathaway."

"Keeping Jenée _here_ is going to distract her."

"If this is going to be a training exercise, Miss Hathaway can use this to train out her separation anxiety."

I literally had to bite my tongue as I reneged and nodded. If I wasn't careful I was going to do more harm than good here. I left Kirova's office feeling as terrible as I had when I entered. I may have successfully gotten Rose off campus for the shopping trip but Rose wasn't going to be happy that Jenée wasn't coming. Rose was going to hate that it had to be a training exercise in the first place, but to not have Jenée around was going to hurt her... just as it was going hurt me too.

On Monday evening I met with Prince Victor, Ben, Spiridon,and Alto. We strategized until we were practically blue in the face. Five minutes later the girls arrived. Natalie barrelled into her fragile father. Camille Conta was politely smiling along. Lissa was comforting Rose. I doubted anyone else could see it, but leaving Jenée here was eating Rose up. Rose was terrified of getting in the SUV that would take her away from her 28 month old.

Spiridon, Ben, and I sat in the back of the SUV with Rose. Most of the stuff she knew and had used, but she was nervous without having Jenée around. That much was plain as day to us three. Then we got to the pair guarding theory- the way we were working today.

"Yup. You're going to be Dimitri's partner." commented an oblivious Spiridon.

Silence befell us and Rose's eyes searched out mine. Something warm and wonderful flowed between us. Her eyes seemed to ask, _We're never_ _ **actually**_ _going to be guarding partners, are we?_

"Guarding partner." I made sure my eyes- and an undertone- conveyed to her, _Only until graduation_.

She averted her gaze before I could tell if she'd gotten the message.

"Yup," agreed Spiridon, more oblivious to the ever-rising sexual tension than ever. He went on to explain guarding partners and the varying levels of the inclusion of modern technology.

I think both Rose and I ignored him. Our already sandwiched legs seemed to press upon each other more and more. Her hand and arm relaxed so she nearly covered my thigh and knee in a half-embrace. It was taking all my effort not to lock pinkies with her.

"So, I can't ever take my eyes off her," Rose's twinkling eyes met mine, "or you."

 _Oh, shit! I didn't need_ _ **those**_ _images of her right now. I didn't need those memories of the way her eyes couldn't-_ _ **FOCUS, BELIKOV**_ _! Now's_ _ **not**_ _the time to need a cold shower._

Spiridon's obliviousness was confirmed with his laughter and nudge to my side. His wasn't the only nudge her words elicited... _Cut! It! Out!_ "You've got a star student there. Did you give her a stake?"

"No. She isn't ready."

Rose shot me an indignant look. "I would be. If _someone_ stopped making me take tests so he can teach my daughter _RUSSIAN_ , _without my permission_."

"You can't deny her anything, Rose, and you know she loves it."

Spiridon and Ben looked on in amusement. Spiridon showed his reactions more freely.

"You've got one hell of a cute toddler, Rose," commented Spiridon.

"She'll make a good guardian one day," added Ben.

Rose beamed. "She is my daughter. I just hope..."

"Rose?" I asked, trying to keep the worry out of my voice.

"Nothing," she sighed and shook her head.

"Rose," I warned, "is this about-"

Rose's eyes burned with a dangerous flame. "Don't mention it! It doesn't matter."

I resisted the need to groan.

When was she going to realise that it mattered? When was she going to stop hiding Jenée's father's identity? It was killing her to keep it secret. So why did she insist on keeping up the game? She clearly kept drawing parallels. So why did she continue to keep biting her tongue?

Once at the mall, Rose was on high-alert and as Ben and I followed the girls and Victor as they kept moving from store to store. I couldn't be more proud of her, of Rose. Lissa insisted on a few items for Jenée; at the thought of her daughter, pain and anxiety flashed through Rose's eyes, but it never reached her face and she never let it distract her.

"Oi! Belikov!" called Ben from a few racks over.

"Yeah?"

"Isn't this so Jen?" he asked. He lifted up a gorgeous toddler ' _I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus_ ' printed sweater.

"It is..." I cautiously agreed, "but it's barely November." Not to mention, I couldn't afford it, much as I wanted Jenée to have it. I never understood why girls loved to shop... until now, when I couldn't get Jenée the top she would wear out of before she grew out of. It was making me Ache in my heart being unable to buy it.

Ben, sensing my inner-turmoil, smiled. "I'll have Victor charge it."

I shook my head. "Don't worry, Ben. She'll ruin it the second the gets her hands on it."

"Have some faith in her." He bought the top.

Meanwhile. Rose was struggling resisting Lissa's suggestion of a sleek, little black dress. I was ready to call her on school dress code for how sexy it was. The clinging action it would manage... I didn't need to think of ripping that dress off her. But, as Lissa bought the dress, I couldn't stop myself from wanting to take the dress and hide it away so only I ever saw Rose in it. Even so...

Our connection burned between us as she yawned beside me in the SUV on the ride home. Our thighs and arms touched and warmed.

"Did you see that dress?"

 _Are you trying to kill me, woman?_ Because yes, "I saw the dress."

"Did you like it?"

I almost drew blood with how hard I had to bite my tongue to stop myself saying something that would get me fired.

"Will I endanger my reputation if I wear it to the dance?"

I waited until her eyes had fluttered closed. "You'll endanger the school," I whispered so quietly I was surprised she heard. She smiled. She yawned and stretched and rested her head on my shoulder.

"She did a good job," praised Victor.

"Yes, she did."

"She did well pushing Jenée to the corner of her mind," noted Spiridon.

"Jen..." mumbled Rose. She shivered and goosebumps littered her arms. I carefully- instinctually- shrugged my duster off to wrap it around her. "Mmm... _Comrade_ ," she mumbled.

Beside me, Spiridon laughed quietly.

"What?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes and nodded at Rose. "She's dreaming about you. Again."

I lifted my brow, feigning confusion.

"Man. Belikov, how do you not know she's been dreaming about you since she was a Fresher?"

I shrugged my free shoulder.

"Someone's oblivious to the fact they're making their student crush harder on them," teased Ben.

"What are you talking about?" I suspected I knew.

"Jenée," said Spiridon, Ben, Alto, and Victor. In unison.

"What about her?" Come on, she's a right cutie, so what's she got to do with me making Rose 'crush' on me more intensely?

"The more Jen trusts you, the more Rose looks to you to be Jen's father figure," explained Victor.

"Jenée has a father out there, somewhere, and I'm sure he's who Rose wants as her daughter's father figure." It hurt to say, but it was true.

I constantly saw it in Rose's eyes. Rose wanted Jenée's real father in her life. There was no way I could measure up to Jen's real dad. I wanted to. I wanted so badly for Jen to look at me with those innocent brown eyes and call me _Daddy_ , tell that me that she loves me. I wanted to be Jenée Luca Hathaway's father, more than anything in the world. But it wasn't to be. Rose wanted Jenée's real daddy in their life, and I wasn't him. I never would be.

RPOV

I awoke to Dimitri's gentle shakes. When I realised where we were and that I'd have Jenée back in my arms before too long, I handed Dimitri his duster back and jumped from the SUV. I wanted to sprint back to my daughter, whom I knew for a fact was being entertained by Alberta.

"You can't possibly want to go get her without having her new clothes to show her," laughed Lissa.

The bags of Jen's gifts were shoved in my chest and I laughed with Lissa. Though I was more than eager to get to my daughter. I had never been so long without her and I didn't understand how my mother could claim she was when she spent _years_ away from me without seeming the slightest bit affected by it. I _couldn't_ go _hours_ without my daughter. How was I ever meant to keep her at school while I guarded Lissa next year and into the future? Until Jenée grew up and was suddenly joining the guardian ranks with me? I didn't know if I would be able to cope. Now or ever.

"You're still on duty up there," laughed Spiridon. "No running off yet."

"No running here! I-" I screamed in agony as I crumpled to the ground. My foot was caught in a pothole.

Screams resounded and footsteps pounded as our entourage gathered around me. Dimitri's face was the last thing I saw before the pain became too much and I blacked out.


	17. Under pressure

RPOV

When I opened my eyes I was met with white walls and a sterile smell. _Great_. The clinic. The last place I wanted to be.

"Sleeping beauty awakes," whispered a honey Russian accent I knew too well. The one that haunted my dreams and conscience.

"Are you _flirting_?" I groaned.

"Never- don't try to sit up!" he rushed out and gently pushed me back down by my shoulders when I tried to manoeuvre myself into an upright position.

"I'm fine!" Though I really wasn't. I did feel a little fuzzy. But my ankle didn't hurt. Well, it did feel the tiniest bit weak though not nearly as painfully injured as it should be.

"Rose," he gently chastised. "You've got to be a little fuzzy- Dr Olendzki did give you pretty heavy pain killers."

"I figured," I admitted, "my ankle doesn't hurt."

"That's because it wasn't badly injured. Just a scare. A little bruised but that's all."

"That's not possible," I murmured and threw the horrid hospital blanket off to assess the damage. He was right. It was only bruised. But... _how?_ "I heard the crack... it should be shattered..."

"You've got a guardian angel," he smiled. Not just a lip twitch, either, but one of those full smiles that lit up his being and that I lived for and craved some days.

"I don't believe in angels." I believed in god and miracles and a whole heap of religious stuff after surviving the crash and especially after having Jenée, but I still didn't believe in guardian angels.

Dimitri's brow raised sceptically. "Oh really? After the attention I've seen you pay in Church, you still don't believe in angels and miracles?"

"Shut up!" I whined. "I believe in miracles, but not guardian angels."

"Maybe presents will cheer you up?"

"Obvious subject change much? And yes, they would." I hated to admit it, but in some ways I was still just like own child: presents cheered me up and kisses made things better... well, _mostly_ better.

"This one's from Prince Victor." A small box was handed to me.

"Whoa!" I looped the expensive rose necklace over two fingers and lifted it up to examine it in the warm, soothing lighting. "Little extreme for a get-well present, but..." I looked at Dimitri quizzically.

He shook his head and smiled again. His chocolate brown eyes made my heart race. "It's not really a get-well present. He bought it in honour of you doing such a great job on your first day after seeing you and Lissa pining over it."

"I _don't_ think I did _that_ good a job." Guarding Lissa wasn't the easiest, especially with Jenée back here, but I was used to it after so long on the run with her, so it had returned to me as naturally as riding a bike.

If possible, Dimitri's smile widened further and his eyes sparked brighter with amusement, affection... and even that attraction slipped out and pulled me to him in an invisible embrace. How did he always manage to do this to me? "I do."

"You do... _do you?_ "

Dimitri nodded. "I most certainly do... Roza." He handed over a little bag from Macy's. I opened it. Inside was a tiny VS bag, in which contained my lip gloss. My eyebrows quirked.

"How? I saw you all the time?"

"Guardian secrets," he returned mysteriously. "And there's something else in there too..."

I pulled the VS bag out and found a little top under it. I pulled the red sweater out and held it against my chest and 'modelled' it for Dimitri. "It's for Jen, isn't it?" I laughed. It did have ' _I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus_ ' printed in green on the front with an image of a Santa's Helper Mommy locking lips with Santa under mistletoe that dangled from the last 'a' on 'Santa'. It was far too cute and I knew my baby would love it to bits.

Dimitri nodded. "Yeah. It is."

I dropped the sweater and jumped off the bed to hug him like I needed him to breathe... and in all reality, I kinda did, and had ever since I first met him a all those years ago. "ThankyouThankyouThankyou!" I happily cried in his ear. "She's going to _love_ it." _She's going to love you more because of it,_ I wanted to add.

"She deserves the world, Roza. Just like her gorgeous mother."

"You're _definitely_ flirting."

He had to be with a comment like the one he'd just made. The only admission of guilt from him was scooping me up and returning me to the very uncomfortable bed. I knew him well enough by now, and he should know I know him that well.

I had just packed away the gifts when Dr Olendzki entered with a small smile on her face. Professional but personable, comforting to her patients.

"I thought I heard chatter in here. You're lucky Rose."

"Yeah. Any true damage and I'd be out of training and down for the count on 'mother duties'."

Dimitri shook his head. "Yeah. So I heard. Though you know that daughter of yours would survive in the time you took to recover- you're overprotective and a control freak when it comes to her."

"I am not!" I huffed indignantly while Olendzki tested my ankle. I ignored the slight twinges that were due to the weakened feeling I was currently receiving from it.

"Well, whatever it is you're doing with her, Rose, is keeping her from becoming my second-best patient."

"Did she visit? Was Lissa here with her?" I didn't know why, but suddenly, I was panicked.

"No, Jenée hasn't been in. But Lissa did follow you. You calmed with her by your side."

I opened myself up to the bond as understanding hit me. Then Lissa's emotions took over. She was watching her blood drip to the floor. I never understood why, and this time I didn't register her weird philosophising. All I knew now was that if Jenée had a friend who knew she was doing this, then I'd want the be told. Dimitri had told me to trust and confide in him again, and it was time I did. Both as Lissa's friend and guardian, I wanted to help her, but I knew now just how in over my head I was trying to help her fight her inner battles on my own. I may be a mother, but I had to learn that I still had a lot to learn. Now was one of those times when I had to hand the reins over to someone else, and if anyone could help her when I couldn't, just like with Jenée, it was Dimitri. I trusted Dimitri with my daughter, _didn't I?_ So why couldn't I also trust him with my best friend and charge?

"I know where she is," I gasped when I broke out of the trap of her emotions. "Lissa." I looked to Dimitri, "You have to help her."

And that was how Lissa ended up in the clinic overnight again and restarted avoiding me. _Brilliant._ My unsteady social standing became a gaping chasm below me because Princess Vasilisa Dragomir didn't like me going to others for help, because she didn't like my theories of how the accident, her powers and depression, and the bond all seemed to interlink. I didn't yet understand how or why, but they'd all happened so closely together. Just like Jen had been conceived not long after, either. Lissa didn't outright put me down, but she certainly gave me the cold-shoulder again. And the sheep-like Moroi- royals especially- followed her example. To make matters worse, she wasn't even speaking to Jenée. That _infuriated_ me. She saw Jenée as her _family_ , yet was _willing to hurt_ my daughter by playing royal popularity games, _prioritising her power-abusing_ over her niece.

Then again, why should I have expected her to continue to make the sacrifices I had once we returned? Why should she continue to play the loving, supportive aunt when she was a teen Princess desperate to fill the roll of her brother and father? Why should she continue to give up being a popular teenager just because her friend was left a single Mom with a two year old? Why should she continue to care about the child's life her friend put on the line to protect her from the insanity she now insisted she exposed herself to? _Why should I have thought she'd act any differently to the way she now currently was?_

I was left with only the most meagre of support. Though, I had to admit, Dimitri's fierce loyalty to and love for Jenée made my heart desire to explode with love for him. He was brilliant with her and she adored it him now more than ever with her Aunt Lissa ignoring her.

"I could take her for the night, Rose," offered Dimitri when I told him the black dress was going to go to waste. Honestly, the panic in his eyes when I told him that number wasn't going to be worn was really rather amusing.

I shook my head. "I'm used to it by now, Da-mitri." I _had_ to get Lissa to stop acting like such a royal bitch, because I was getting too exposed to Dimitri, and too connected with him once more.

Dimitri shook his head adamantly and adjusted how Jenée was sleeping on his lap. Just like father and daughter should look and be together... I almost sighed both wistfully and in frustration at how desperately I wished they could know each other. "Rose, you need a night off. I wasn't going to be guarding anyway- not with you and that dress. My books are begging for a night of solitude, but I'm only too happy to take this one in for a few hours for you to let off some steam."

I shook my head. "I can't do that to you, Dimitri. She runs you ragged enough as it is."

Dimitri let a pained look contort his face for a quick second. In the depths of his eyes I recognised his longing, and the agony of it. He wanted to be a father, so badly. But more than anything, he wanted to be a _Daddy_... _**to Jen**_. He'd wanted our kids for a while, but I'd never yet seen how deeply he desired to be Jenée's _Daddy_. He wanted to be her primary caregiver for the night. He wanted, like her father would, to give me a night off. Not because I was an overworked, overprotective teen mother, and guardian to be, but simply because he wanted me to enjoy myself, relax and de-stress, regardless of the fact I was a Senior and it was only a high-school dance.

"Dimitri," my voice twisted in reluctance and pain, "I... can't..."

"Rose, _please_ ," he begged. "You need to get more adjusted to leaving her with others. _Please?_ Please let me look after her on Saturday?" Again he let it show how much he wished to look after her like her father should. _How was I supposed to refuse him that?_ It was taking everything in me to keep my secret as secret as it still is, to keep father and daughter in the dark.

I collapsed and sighed in defeat and exhaustion. "Okay. She trusts you. I trust you with her. Okay. This doesn't mean I'll go to the dance, but okay, you can take care of her on Saturday. But, I swear, Dimitri Belikov, if she comes back to me hurt in any way, shape or form, you know I can have your ass fired quick-smart, no matter how much I care about you- _**she**_ means everything, and I'll stop at nothing. _Got it?_ _Absolutely._ _ **NOTHING**_."

Dimitri smiled a tight-lipped half-smile. "I promise, Rose. You won't regret it."

"I hope you're right. For all our sakes."

Dimitri came and picked Jenée up on Saturday just as I was pulling the dress out of my closet. Somehow, between Dimitri insisting on babysitting Jen and Mase and Eddie pestering me to go to the dance if just to go to an after party, I had been talked into going to the stupid dance.

"Just a second!" I called. I hugged my towel closer around me and moved to the door. Keeping most of me behind the door I cracked it open a smidge. As I suspected. Dimitri.

"Let Mr Mitri in, Momma!" squealed Jenée. She was growing up so quickly. And she only proved it when she demanded his entrance in Russian. I groaned.

"Why, Dimitri?" I whined when I let him in. "Why did you teach her a language I don't understand?"

He chuckled and scooped her up. He was in the usual guardian get up.

I shook my head and returned to my closet to extract that damn dress. "I really wish you didn't run Mr Mitri ragged, Princess Jenée. And you know the deal, don't you, Dimitri?" I twisted around to face him... to find him staring. _I thought my ass had started to feel hotter..._ "Ahem! Mr Mitri? Child in room. And you know the deal about your duty tonight, don't you?"

Dimitri's gaze met mine and he swallowed. He _actually_ swallowed. _Oh my god._ Did he just lose that much control... _in front of Jenée_? He nodded. "Yes, Rose. I know the deal. You... you need to get dressed and get to that dance in time for it to start. You deserve the night off. Momma works hard looking after you, doesn't she, Miss Jenée?"

Jenée smiled at me and Dimitri and nodded. "Da, Papa."

I gasped as Dimitri's jaw dropped.

 _She_ _ **didn't!**_ I looked at Dimitri's teary-eyed perplexed expression. _She_ _ **did!**_ She called him _Daddy_ in Russian. I knew little of the language- nearly none, but I had picked up _yes_ , _no_ , and the parental names. She had called Dimitri, _Daddy_ , and my heart threatened to explode with her innocence and Dimitri's pure elation.

"Momma?" she asked in worry.

"Momma's okay, Jen. Just don't go calling Mr Mitri ' _Papa_ ' around anyone not Momma or Mr Mitri. Okay, sweetie?"

Her brown eyes scrutinised me in the way only one's baby could. "Lub you, Momma." She let the earlier topic drop and demanded to be hugged and kissed bye-bye. I'm not so sure if her letting the subject slide was to my relief or added stress.

"Momma loves you too, baby girl." I held her close while Dimitri collected her overnight bag.

"Does Jenée want to see Momma in the pretty dress she's going to wear tonight?" Dimitri asked as he took her from my arms.

"Dimitri!" I exclaimed in horror. "That dress _isn't_ for toddler eyes!" _Or mentor eyes_ , I mentally screamed at him.

"Then you shouldn't have bought it." The teasing, challenging glint in his eyes was driving me insane.

"I didn't, V-a-s-i-l-i-s-a did!"

"See pwetty Momma!" Jenée pouted.

I sighed. "If this affects her future clothing choices, Dimitri, I'm putting _all_ the blame _on_ _ **you**_."

He fixed me with a disbelieving and questioning raised brow.

"Don't look at me like _that_!"

The look only morphed into one of amusement.

I groaned and lugged the nearly weightless dress into the bathroom.

I was more than 210 percent sure Dimitri was doing this for his own benefit. Though why he wanted to see me in the dress when he'd been met with the sight of me in a towel, I don't know. You'd think I'd have men sorted, what, being a Mom and all. But _no_. Far from it. I have more trouble with men than I do with my gorgeous, angelic child. Maybe it's even because of being a Mom I have more men problems. Teen MILF. _Ew!_ But that's probably the thinking of the Moroi boys around, ad being a dhampir and you get me being thought of as a teen blood whore MILF. That's just wrong! But unfortunately, that's the society we live in right now.

Just before strutting out of the bathroom I added the necklace from Victor and let my curls hang loose. Just as Dimitri likes... Well, he did ask, so he shall receive his rightful punishment, as I see fit. And right now, that meant no make-up, untouched hair, the dress, necklace, and heels.

Just as I suspected would happen when I exited, he could do nothing but stare. Oh, and cover Jenée's eyes.

"Malen'kiy ne dolzhny videt', chto," I heard Dimitri mutter. I didn't know what it meant, but I could hazard a guess from context.

"I did warn you it wasn't for toddler eyes."

Dimitri's eyes bugged. _Yeah._ Let him assume I understood. Serves him right for asking to see it on me in the first place.

"Papa!" whined Jenée as she swatted away his hand. "Momma..." she went on in Russian. Could I not catch a break from the language! I was seriously considering feeling left out at the moment.

Dimitri shook his head and responded. Then his attention returned to me. "Add that bangle from Ivan, Roza. We'll see you in the morning. Have a good time." Both he and Jenée hugged me and left. Jenée walked out my door with her little backpack on and walking beside Dimitri, chattering away in Russian. _Oh god._ I _had_ to do something about that tongue of hers. No wonder it didn't wag much. It ran a million miles a minute in Russian with my mentor.

"Open up, Hathaway! You're running late!" called Mason through the door after banging on it.

I shook my head and laughed. "It's unlocked, you fool! Have you _never_ heard of being fashionably late?" I added the final touches to my make-up as he entered my room.

"Y- wow!" His eyes bugged and roamed me appreciatively. It didn't set me alight like Dimitri's did, but I did like to know Dimitri wasn't the only one this dress was affecting. As I'd suspected; it certainly was challenge-the-dress-code sexy. "You are one _Hot Momma_."

"You approve?" I batted my mascaraed and shadowed eyes and modelled it.

His young, freckled face nodded. A smile played on his lips. And he was nearly drooling. "Absolutely. Then again..." a light blush colored his cheeks, "you look beautiful in everything, especially in your own skin."

I felt winded at his words as I was thrown back to a time a couple of years ago, when a sexy Russian accent told me that. While we were removing each other's clothes. _Oh god. The memories!_ The butterfly light kisses the my body was claimed with. The never-ending prayer of "Roza... Roza... oh, my Roza..." as the accompanying hands slowly, gently, tenderly, warily, and lovingly taught me what it meant to be loved and treasured, to be so completely valued, to be put first. And oh god, those brown eyes! The look of complete love and utter dedication, total adoration that shone from them as he let me into his heart in the stolen and unguarded moment of vulnerability. He looked at me for permission at every twist and turn, ready to stop at my command. But I didn't want him to stop. _Ever_. I _never_ wanted him to stop heating me up and pleasuring me with his feather-light touches and kisses. I _never_ wanted him to stop showing me what it meant to be a woman.

"Oh, god!" I whimpered at the simply Amazing way he kissed my nipple and gently brought us closer together still.

"Oh, Roza..." His tongue licked around my nipple as if it were the most delicious ice cream. "Oh, Roza..."

"Di-mi- _tri_!" I begged.

I had never put much thought into how I'd lose my virginity, but I couldn't imagine it got better than this. _How could it?_ As long as I was with Dimitri, _how could it get better than this?_ He'd barely gotten my bra off, but I hadn't let anyone see as much of me as I had just let Dimitri see and worship, and I was already in _ecstasy_.

"Patience, Roza..." murmured Dimitri as he kissed his way down between my boobs and all over my stomach. "Patience, my love. This is all about you-"

"I love you!" I whined, "I need you!"

Dimitri tsked just above the waistband of my jeans. "Oh, my love. You haven't experienced anything... yet."

Just when I thought he would rip my jeans off me his lips found mine again. I moaned into the kiss. "Dimitri... stop teasing me and take me already."

"No," he puffed against my lips, "I'm not going 'take you' like any other Moroi boy would. You're too beautiful, Roza. You're beautiful in everything, Roza, always so beautiful it hurts me. But you've never been more beautiful than now." Dimitri rose up and leaned away just enough for his lust and love filled gaze studying me heated me up where skin contact was broken. "So beautiful." His eyes met mine after lingering on the button on my jeans. I nodded and he slowly shimmied them off me, kissing every bit of skin he could while at it. "You're so beautiful, Roza, in everything, but never more especially than when in your own skin, my love."

Oh, how that man had changed my life after saying that! I had never enjoyed physical activity with him more than then.

"So? Belikov's got the bundle of energy tonight, huh?"

 _Did he_ _ **have**_ _to bring Dimitri up!_ "Yeah," I laughed. "He's babysitting since we're all... busy?"

Mason rolled his eyes and tugged me out the door. "Let's go. Eddie's got a few ideas of where to go when we need to escape that crowd over over-ambitious gyrating juniors."

"Don't you mean fast-paced freshers?"

It took all I had not to blush. I certainly hadn't been allowed to be a part of that crowd. And now? I was eternally grateful to Dimitri for drawing out our moment. I still couldn't imagine a better way to have sex for the first time than making love with the person who holds your heart just as close to their own as they hold your bodies together.

After an altercation with Mia- meaning: a moment of me protecting Lissa from the psycho-angel-doll despite still being on bad terms with my bestie- I was escorted from the dance. Mia had taken it three steps _three-million_ too far tonight, so I snapped. _It was all too much!_ I didn't need Lissa shunning me while I tried to sort out _HER_ issues _AND_ raise my daughter _AND_ keep said daughter's paternal lineage a secret- to prevent rumours and confused brains- while also trying to unravel the reason _WHY_ her father and I could conceive. _AND_ try to keep my ass in school _for her_ when all I wanted was to take Jen and Dimitri and go on the run, to leave Moroi society behind once and for all.

Despite it all, I flounced onto my bed and opened myself up to the bond. I was brainwashed, I _had_ to be to be doing this because _They Come First_ , when all I wanted was to grab my bag, stalk over to Dimitri's, and have him take Jenée and me as far away as possible- like, to Russia, would be nice. But no. Protecting my heart and my baby comes second best to the friend who seems to run- and, more importantly, _**ruin**_ \- my life right now. _Just. Like. Always._ I don't think I'd wanted Dimitri to pull me back to the cabin more than I did in this moment.

Lissa was calmer. But that didn't last long. Christian came into the attic. Their lips met and her emotions spiked again. _Yuk!_ I didn't need to be around for this! _Ew! Ew, ew, ew! Gross!_ Her emotions were too strong for me to escape right now.

Fear and surprise locked me in. And confusion. Guardians hurt Christian, _why would they hurt him?_ she wondered. She started going into distress, then suddenly... nothing.

I was thrown back into the reality of my daughter-less room. What the hell? A force had taken me from her. A force had pulled me back here. But... why? Why was being here suddenly so odd? Shouldn't here be where I was? What had I been worrying about? All was fine. I had a silent dorm because Dimitri had Jenée for some bonding time.

Dimitri... Dimitri... Dimitri... He'd know what was going on. He always knew. He always knew and always knew how to help. Dimitri. I had to go to Dimitri. I had to go to him. I had to go to where part of my soul was looking after my daughter. And Jen... I had to tell him something about Jenée as well as whatever it was I couldn't remember. It mustn't be as important as Dimitri if I couldn't remember it. Yes. Dimitri was all that mattered. Dimitri and something about Jenée...

Instinct led me to his room in the staff wing. I would know his room even if the world was only made of dorm rooms. I was pulled to it and beat the living daylights out of it. Waking up Jen didn't matter right now. Something was wrong and Dimitri was the only cure. And I needed that cure, _Right. Now._

It didn't take long for him to open up. Jenée was asleep on his hip. Or nearly asleep. I didn't care to differentiate right now.

"Let me in. It's Liss... and- and- we need to talk about the Princess." _What was I saying?_

All that mattered was that Jen was asleep and Dimitri himself looked one step away from going to bed- the tips of his hair already curled from showering not too long ago. _Oh god._ I needed him. I had never needed him as much as before I left as I did now. Jen needed to be put into her makeshift toddler bed and Dimitri needed to put me in his bed.

"Rose?" he asked too warily but let me in anyway and moved to gently put Jenée down. _Oh god._ I wanted to cry because he made such a great father for Jenée.

"It's- I just..." _Why couldn't I think straight?_ "There's so much happening-"

"Do you want her back? Did I do something wrong?" he asked in a rush. Fear shone in his eyes.

I shook my head violently. "No!" I screeched in a whisper. "I like you looking after her." _Where did that admission come from?_ "I love you looking after her." _Now, come on! Tongue: Stop wagging, already!_

Dimitri's arms ensnared me in a hug of pure joy. And heat. The heat between us was unbearable. He spun me around and crashed his lips to mine. _Heaven. Heaven and home. Hadn't he always been my heaven and home?_

"You really love me looking after her?" he murmured against my lips. Tears of elation and love escaped his eyes... and mine. "You love me looking after your Princess?"

"Of course." I shut him up by re-initiating the kiss. "Of course I love you looking after her." This time when we kissed his hands slowly slid down my back, down to the hem of the dress, down to my thighs. "I love you," I gasped out. He didn't know what he did to me.

"I love you, Roza." And the kiss began again.

This kiss burned my mouth and made me melt in his arms. _Oh... what those lips could do! What they could do to_ _ **me**_ _!_ I needed him. I needed them taking possession of my body all over again. _Why had I told him no when I returned? There was nothing wrong with sleeping with the man I love._

I revelled in the feel of his hands grazing my body as he pushed that stupid dress up, up, up. Until it was suddenly on the floor, landing there with a light _thud_. Jen was asleep. I needed Dimitri to put me to bed, in a much, _much_ more _adult_ way...

As if reading my mind, he picked me up, never breaking the kiss, and took me to his bed.


	18. Shockwaves

DPOV

Something was wrong. But I didn't care what. All I wanted to do- all I _could_ do- was kiss Rose. Kiss Rose and revel in the heat between our bodies. I looked into her eyes again and I saw the decision in them. She was decided to relive that night so many years ago. I reached my hand out and unclasped her necklace. With what I wanted to do to top _that night_ it would be in the way more than it already was.

Only, when I dropped it to my bedside table, the way I felt... changed. I still wanted her- I'd _always_ want her- but now I could think more clearly. The heat between us... this was different. I wanted to do things with her... not to her. And not with Jen in the room. Certainly not with the baby in the room. _What was the difference? What had caused the change?_

The necklace. I grasped it again and it all came flooding back. _What did it matter that Jenée was here?_ She was asleep and Rose and I could be quiet. Even with all I wanted to do to her. She was what that mattered...

But, _was this us?_ This didn't feel like us. This didn't feel right.

"This necklace. It's the one Prince Victor have you, right?" I murmured. _Why did I care? Why should I?_ The only thing that I should care about was ravishing Rose, my Roza.

"Y-yeah?" Confusion and lust played in her eyes. As did the fire of trying to ignore how our bodies reacted to each other.

"There's something here... something feels wrong..." I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes, trying to ignore the mouthwatering sight of her naked body. "This- this doesn't feel like us." I was seriously getting pissed off now, because I couldn't figure out what was going on. "This doesn't feel like... like last time."

"Shouldn't every time feel different?" _Oh honey..._ one baby later and she was still _so_ innocent.

I grunted. "It shouldn't feel like _this_... it shouldn't feel like all that matters is what I can do to your body!" I complained.

Rose gasped and my eyes opened. I drank her in. The eyes didn't look so unfocused anymore. "Lissa! I have to tell you something about Lissa but I can't remember what. It's too fuzzy."

That's when I got it. I forced myself away from her and away from the bed. All I wanted was to return to her, to kiss her and taste her and do all sorts of _unspeakable_ _things_ to her. But I moved my gaze to Jen, who was sleeping soundly. We couldn't, not with her in the room, not when we were under a charm. I forced myself to the window and opened it. I found my last piece of control when I was blasted with the chilly air. My arm extended itself out and my fingers uncurled, releasing the necklace. My head cleared. And so did Rose's when I looked to where so was bolting towards me.

Her eyes widened in fear. "Lissa! She's- she's been taken!"

We started dressing. "Do you still fit into your old clothes?" I asked when I realised that her wearing that dress again wasn't the best of ideas.

"Sorta. Wh-" she cut herself off when she realised what I meant. "Never mind," she laughed. Rose went straight for the drawer her old stash of clothes hadn't moved from. She just fit into her old jeans and _St Vlad's Middle School Senior_ shirt. Still, I decided to throw her one of my old hoodies to wear over the top before I scooped Jenée up into my arms and Rose and I rushed out the door to Alberta's office.

The commotion of Alberta calling in guardians and Kirova woke Jenée.

" _Momma!_ " she wined in such a way that it indicated she was clearly- and understandably- crabby. She sat up on the lounge I'd laid her on earlier and looked around. " _Papa!_ " she demanded my attention when her eyes registered I was in this chaos. Rose and I were by her side in less than 2 seconds.

"Shh," we cooed in unison. Rose's eyes pleaded with me to look after her daughter while she returned to nagging the guardians and Kirova to do something.

I pulled Jen into my arms and sat then Rose kissed her forehead. "Momma's got to help Aunty Lissa, sweetie- she's gone out without telling anyone and only Momma knows where she is. Can you be good for Mr Mitri while Momma helps get Aunty Lissa back? Please, baby?"

Jenée nodded and curled into my chest. "Yes, Momma. I be good for Papa," she mumbled in Russian.

Rose looked at me in exasperation. "I don't have the energy to tell you off again, Dimitri. Did she agree?"

I nodded. "Yes. Go save Lissa."

Close to inaudibly, I hummed a Russian lullaby. At the same time I tried to focus on everything around me.

"How many Strigoi were there?"

"How in the world would they get in?"

"Wh- they weren't Strigoi!"

 _Huh? Who would want Lissa if not Strigoi?_ It didn't make any sense, but I trusted Rose's judgment. She was the one with the bond, not me.

"Who else would take her? You must've seen it wrong through the... vision," Kirova commented in disbelief. She still doubted the bond. That much was abundantly clear.

Rose was furious. "It's not a 'vision'! I see and feel exactly what she does, as if _I_ _ **AM**_ _her_!"

"Settle, Rose," I gently warned, "we need to stay on topic. Who took Lissa?"

Roza looked to where a half-back-to-sleep Jenée cowered in my hold. Regret and self-hatred glowed in her sad, brown eyes. She took a deep breath and slammed a blank face in place before turning to face Kirova and the others again. "Guardians. She was taken by guardians."

"Why would guardians take her? Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?" Kirova was such a self-important little... _How can she be so totally influenced by a grudge against Rose when the last Dragomir is missing?_

"They weren't school guardians."

On the second lounge in the room a conscious and being-tended-to Christian supported Rose. "They were. Non-school guardians took Liss after knocking me out."

"How do you expect me to believe a group of privately retained guardians suddenly decided to kidnap her?"

 _Oh my god!_ Kirova could not be impartial right now!

"Because I would've recognised them and I didn't," Rose bit out. Her fury and frustration were flaring up again. I couldn't see her face, but her posture told me enough to know she was checking the bond. "The- they're Victor Dashkov's," she said in shock.

"As in _**Prince**_ Victor Dashkov?" a female guardian asked in disbelief. Apparently this world had another Victor Dashkov we weren't privy to knowing existed.

"Please," Rose begged, "they're getting away, they're heading south on 83."

Yuri was the next to speak. "Already? Why didn't you come sooner?"

Rose spoke when I did. "A compulsion spell."

I shot Rose a look that said to let me handle it. "A compulsion spell infused in a necklace he gave her. It made her attack me. By the time I'd restrained her and disposed of the necklace, a lot of time had passed."

"No one's used that compulsion in centuries!"

Rose cut Kirova a dangerous glare. " _Wake up my child and I'll go after Lissa_ _ **myself**_ _,_ " she threatened. _Oh honey, please be careful._

Kirova hid her shock and fear well. And finally, things started moving.

We gathered two SUVs worth of guardians and raced after them. Jenée was left in the care of Ms Cormack once I convinced them Rose was needed on this trip. _Honestly, how else did they expect to retrieve Lissa?_ I drove the head SUV with an anxious Rose in the passenger seat.

"Why couldn't Jenée come..." she whined. I was feeling her separation anxiety.

Alberta's hand reached Rose's shoulder before mine could grab her hand and embrace it for dear life. "She needs to stay safe. Lissa needs you to focus and you need Jenée safe- and right now, that means leaving her behind wards. She's asleep anyway, besides, she likes Ms Cormack. She'll stay calm if she wakes."

Rose simply gave a resigned sigh. She leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes, focusing on Lissa, _clearly_. I continued to race to catch up with Dashkov's minions. I had to save my charge then have Rose and I return to Jenée. Once again I heard her calling me Papa and tears threatened to sting my eyes.

"Their turn's coming. They aren't speeding; they don't want to be pulled over."

I didn't care about that and picked up the pace. I nodded.

All the while, I wondered if she would've let me go that far without the charm. Would she have let me otherwise? What, with the way she had been resolute not to have sex again. And did she mean it? Did she really mean she loved me looking after Jen? Or was that charm induced too?

"They're turning. I can't see the road but I'll know when we're near."

Again, I nodded. Then returned to my stewing.

How could I have done that? How could I have taken her to bed in such a disrespectful way? How could I have been compelled to do _that_ without thinking about the _why_!

On it went for a good twenty minutes before Rose pointed out the road. I grunted as I sharply turned.

Silence engulfed us. There was a tension in it I couldn't tell if Rose felt it too. She was so in tune with Lissa I couldn't get a read on her.

"Turn again," she suddenly said. _Where was Lissa being taken?_ We kept straying so much farther from civilisation it was worrying. "She's being taken into a small cabin."

Rose fell silent as that expression played on her face. She was completely accessing the bond, slipping into her friend's head. Her face was serene but the look in her eyes worried me. Just as it always did when she did this.

A bloodcurdling scream dissolved the tension. If I had been worried before, I was panicked now. The sharp and sudden sound that ripped from Rose's throat nearly made me ever off the road. When I realised there was no direct cause for her agony, I started to purposely pull over. Her safety and well-being were my priority, even now when my charge was being kidnapped by her closest family-friend. Besides, if Rose was unable to think straight then we'd struggle finding Lissa.

"Just get us there!" she demanded through tears of pain.

I sped up if that was possible but every second still felt like a decade. I had to get that pain to leave her, I had to get Lissa and get us back to the Academy. The only thing that would calm my Roza was returning Lissa to safety and Roza to Jenée.

Distantly I heard Rose describe what torture Lissa was being put through. Some air user was smothering her by pressing it against her. He might as well be doing it to Roza because of the bond. And I _hated_ him for it. It was one thing to kidnap and torture my charge. It was _another thing entirely_ to make Rose go through it _too_.

A few Rose-given directions later and we finally arrived.

Rose went to hop out of the SUV. Like hell was she facing whatever was in that cabin. "No, Roza. Jenée, Lissa and I need you to stay safe."

"I have to help!" Her frantic eyes implored me to give in. No way in hell was she fighting other guardians.

My hands embraced her angelic face. "You have," I said gently, "now you need to stay safe for us."

Rose sighed and slumped back in the seat. I took that as my cue to join the other guardians. Six spanned the cabin's perimeter while another eight of us charged and busted down the doors. Time to retrieve Rose's best friend from her betraying uncle.

Alberta and I headed straight for Lissa while the others fought. Only Spiridon was charging at me. So much for him being an ally. A few good hits later and I had knocked him unconscious. Fighting your own kind was never easy and the expected pang of regret hit me as I continued on.

"She's not here," Alberta said worriedly.

"Go after her. I'll ensure he doesn't escape."

It only took a minute to find that abusing, conniving asshole. He smirked knowingly and evilly as I approached his healed self far too calmly and with a look of pure revenge. He didn't get to hurt Rose like that and expect me to let him get away with it. If I hadn't been looking after Jenée, who knows what he would have done with my baby.

"You're stronger than I thought," he said evenly, as if he weren't surround by guardians about to arrest his ass.

"And you're a weak fool. _No one gets away with hurting my charge or my student._ _**Let. Alone. Both**_ **.** " With a speed he wasn't expecting, I had his front pinned against the nearest wall and cuffs around his wrists. "I hope you enjoy jail, because Lissa didn't heal you as completely as you may think," I growled. "I'm not the only one who can dish out revenge."

"And I'm not the only one who can make you my cell mate."

"Don't you dare abuse Rose again." I hauled him out to the SUV and shoved him in with his restrained minions with more force than necessary to manhandle a weak Moroi with.

I returned to my SUV and found it empty. _Damn it, Roza! For_ _ **once**_ _stop throwing yourself in danger. Do you have no clue what_ _ **agony**_ _I'd be in if you_ _ **died**_ _!_ It was torturous enough when she'd gone on the run.

I hoped to god she was okay while I raced to find her. I don't think I'd ever run faster than my panic was making me go now. Yuri was trailing after me.

The scene we found when we got to her was one like no other. Lissa was drinking from Rose. Christian lay on the ground, looking so battered he was nearly dead, two piles of ash were on either side of him, and two psi-hounds laid dead on either side of Rose. _Oh god. No! Please,_ _ **please**_ _Rose,_ _ **Roza please**_ _don't be injured by the psi-hounds!_ Lissa finished feeding and Rose started to collapse. She was in my arms before she could touch the ground. I watched as Lissa focused on healing her boyfriend. Seeing that girl send life into Christian and return him to almost new was beautiful. It was in this moment I knew for certain that all Moroi magic should be used to save their lives, _just as it once had been._

"She means a lot to you, doesn't she?" Alberta murmured on the trip back to the Academy. "Both Rose and Jenée?"

I sighed. "Yeah, they do. Rose..." I shook my head, "there's no words to describe how brilliant she is, how important she is to Lissa, Jenée, society, and me."

"And Jen? Others may have missed it, but I heard her call you _Papa_ earlier." I wasn't certain, but there seemed to be a hint of a smile in her voice.

I again held back tears of joy and humility. "Yeah. She started that tonight, when I picked her up from Rose. I don't know how to explain it, but as soon as she first said _hi_ to me I felt this instinctive _need_ to protect her."

Alberta shook her head. "She's Rose's daughter, so of course a fatherly instinct emerged."

Nothing more was said and I was left wondering what she was implying. _Was she implying that she suspected Jen was-_ against all rules of biology _\- my daughter?_ Or _was she just hinting that she suspected the depth of romantic feelings Rose and I had for one another? Was she hinting that she suspected I would_ _ **always**_ _want to take care of Rose's child or children as if they were my own?_ I couldn't decide, and by the time we returned to the Academy I figured I didn't want to know the answer.

Once I knew Rose was okay and only needed her fluids replenished I went to Ms Cormack to retrieve Jen. She was still asleep thank god. I carried her to my dorm to retrieve her Princess baby blanket/ pillow set and favourite teddy before before returning to Rose's side in the clinic. I sat in the chair by Rose's head and placed the pillow under her head that rested in the crook of my elbow. With Dr Olendzki's help, I rugged her up in her blanket. When her teddy was placed on her chest she immediately clutched it and shifted so she was snuggling into my chest.

"She's so sweet," praised Olendzki.

I smiled adoringly at the little girl who called me her Daddy even if I genetically couldn't be. "Yeah. She is," I agreed in a whisper while running a hand over her braided curls, some of which had escaped.

"I can't wait to see if she grows up to end up with Rose's knack for training injuries."

I shook my head. "She's a live-wire and passionate and doesn't hold back, just like Rose, but something tells me she'll be so talented she'll be the one dealing out the training injuries to her classmates."

"We'll see."

Jenée stirred before her beautiful mother.

"Papa?" she asked sleepily while rubbing sleep from her innocent brown eyes. _Those eyes could get me to do anything._

"Hey baby girl," I whispered. "Momma's still sleeping and getting better after getting Aunty Lissa back," I told her in English and Russian.

"Momma hurt?" Her worry was so cute. She certainly loved her Mom. And Rose loved her just as much.

I shook my head. "She fed Aunty Lissa because Christian came along and got hurt and Aunty Lissa had to make him better."

"Fed?" Jen's scrunched-in-confusion expression made her all the more adorable.

"Moroi fed- blood."

"Oh. Like before?" I hadn't been told by Rose that Jen had seen her feed Lissa.

In surprise, I nodded. "Yeah."

Jen just smiled Rose's smile and shrugged it off. "'Kay."

"Do you want your hair fixed?"

"Please?" she pouted and pleaded.

I chuckled softly and moved so she sat against the chair's arm while I sat on the floor. "My pleasure," I said in Russian. Rose could hate me for it all she wanted, but Jen picked the language up like she was born a Russian child and raised in Russia. Jenée was never as happy nor shone brighter than she did when she chattered away in Russian. It was as if she was born to speak Russian as her first language and English as her second.

"Thank you, Papa," she replied in Russian. _See what I mean? She prefers it._

I removed the hair tie and ran my hands through her long locks. "Has Momma ever had your hair cut?" I kept up the conversation in Russian. I loved being able to speak my mother tongue around her and be understood.

"No. Momma loves my hair. She says Daddy loves long hair and she missed him." Her words touched me, but I couldn't understand why.

"Your Momma loves you, Jen. I think the whole Academy does," I replied while parting her mess of dark curls into three at the base of her neck.

"Not Moroi boys," she huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "They hurt Momma too."

"They're mean, Jen," I comforted, "and they have ideas about dhampir girls that they never change. If a dhampir girl becomes a focused and very good guardian the Moroi boys fear them, but if the girl plays up to their idea- their prejudice- they often never stop saying bad things about that dhampir girl. Before you came along, your Momma was known for being a party girl, a dangerous one, but a party girl no less and the Moroi boys think they can hurt her because of it. But like you, she's very strong and it takes a lot for it to really hurt her."

I tied off her plait and shifted my gaze to the bed. Where Rose was now awake and watching us, completely enraptured and mellowed. The soft, tender, loving, peaceful look made her look so gorgeous and angelic I almost couldn't stand not being allowed to kiss her. It made my heart beat in overtime. It brought a tender smile to my own face as our eyes locked and something warm and powerful explode around us. _Why couldn't I just show her my love whenever I wanted?_

"Hey, Jen, Momma's awake," I whispered in her ear in Russian, "go give her a hug."

"Momma!" she squealed and I handed her over to a smiling and laughing Rose.

"Hey Princess." Rose kissed Jen's cheek and held her close to her as if she would never let go of her again. She looked up and me and mouthed a thank you. I gestured towards the door. She glared and shook her head, refusing to let me go. I smiled at her and sat back in the chair. "Do you sleep well, baby? Go to the toilet when you needed?"

Jen nodded into her mother's chest. "Yes Momma."

"Good girl. Momma's proud of you, baby." Rose kissed the top Jen's head.

"Love you, Momma."

"English please, Jen," Rose gently chastised. Her brown eyes shot a fiery, accusative look at me. I shrugged. She rolled her eyes.

"Love you, Momma."

"Momma loves you too, Jenée."

There was a knock on the door before Dr Olendzki walked in. She checked Rose over before giving her the all clear. "You're good to go, Rose. Jenée, you better be good for your Momma for the next few days and let her know you love her."

Jen nodded and kissed Rose's cheek.

"Guardian Belikov, I recommend a few days out of training, but she should be good to go by Friday."

"Of course, Dr Olendzki. Thank you."

She left and Roza groaned dramatically. "You just _had_ to agree, _didn't you_?"

I met Rose first period on Monday while Jen was in class. Rose was in her room, catching up on homework.

"We should talk," I said cautiously and sat on her bed after she let me in. Dangerous, I know. Her chocolate brown eyes started to water.

"You're going to say you regret it, aren't you? That I should report you?" Her voice was so close to cracking that I couldn't stop myself from reaching out to her and pulling her onto my lap.

"I should say that, you're right. But I'm not going to. Do I regret the charm working? Not exactly. I regret the way it worked. But most importantly, I regret- and _**despise**_ \- the way it made you consent to something I _know_ you want to avoid. And that is what I feel most horrified by. You know me well enough by now to know I would _never_ do anything to or with you that you don't want."

Rose wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head in the crook of my neck. "I want it. That's the problem. Even now, even with the charm having burned out. I _still_ want it, I still want _you_. I have still wanted you again since the day you caught us in Portland. I just... I can't let myself give in."

I sighed and kissed her cheek. "Do you _know_ how happy Jen makes me when she calls me _Papa_?"

Rose laughed then sighed. "I _can't believe_ _her_. But if it makes her happy, I'm okay with it. I do want her to have a father figure and it makes me ecstatic that she chose you to be that father figure. I just wish you'd _stop_ teaching her Russian. She doesn't know when _not_ to speak it."

I smirked. "You know you love her knowing it as a second language. I know you know you love it."

She pulled back to look at me in exasperation. " _ **Second**_ _language?_ Comrade, she's so addicted to it I'm pretty sure she's made it her first language."

"What's the difference?" I chuckled, "She's only two, she'll speak English primarily when she officially starts school."

"I don't want her going to school." She nuzzled back into the crook of my neck. "I don't like thinking of her growing up. It's hard enough letting her go off to her normal classes now while I stay here, avoiding my combat classes."

I held her tighter, as if I could hug away her separation anxiety. "I don't want her growing up either."

The following day I was going to retrieve Rose from Mr Nagy's Slavic Art because Jen couldn't stand being away from her Momma any longer. But on the way there I found a trail of fresh blood. I lowered to Jen's level. "Go to Alberta's office, sweetie. Tell her ' _Cells_ '. Got it? Go. _Now,_ _ **run**_!" I ordered and she sprinted away. I hurried to the jail cells Dashkov was being held in for kidnapping Lissa and abusing her. I don't know why I knew I needed to go there, I just did.

When I got there, Rose was battling it out with Natalie. When she spun at my entrance, I noticed her Strigoi state and charged.

"Rose!" I called and flipped her my spare stake while dodging Natalie's offensive manoeuvre. She caught it before Natalie spun on her. She may be fast and powerful, but Rose and I were too. And we had the advantage of knowing how to use it. She stood no chance with both Rose and I against her. Rose got a good slash on Natalie's face that sent her hissing and spinning in my direction. I added another cut, this time to Natalie's neck and Rose took the distraction to jump on Natalie and send the stake into her heart.

Rose was beautiful in battle, a revenging goddess, an avenging angel of death. "I forgive you and I'm sorry for this," she whispered as the undead life drained from her turned friend's surprised red eyes. Rose removed the stake and met my eyes. "Let's go recapture that _ass_ she called a dad."

"Go to the clinic and I'll talk to Petrov."

"I'm _not_ going to the clinic! I'm perfectly fine."

I raised my brow as we exited and nodded to the gashes on her head. "You're _perfectly fine_ with a bleeding head? I beg to differ, Roza. Besides, Jen's with Petrov, and you're better off going to clean up at the clinic."

Stubbornly, she followed me into Alberta's office anyway.

When Alberta saw us her eyes bugged at the sight of Rose. "Bathroom _now_!" she commanded and shoved a first aid kit in Rose's direction when Rose passed her. Then Alberta faced me while Jenée bounded into my arms. "Thanks for sending a toddler as messenger. Now, explain."

"Dashkov was freed by a Strigoi Natalie. Rose... took her down."

Alberta's eyes bugged again and she whipped her head to the shut bathroom door. "How?"

"If Alto hadn't told you, she killed two of them while pregnant and on the run."

"She was fifteen at best."

I shrugged. "She was trained by me for a year and bit prior. It happens. Right now we've got to get Dashkov back in the cells." Preferably in jail at Court where he bloody should be.

Alberta nodded and sent an alert out and a pair to investigate the cells.

"Who do you suspect Natalie killed?"

"Nagy, I think. The first sign of blood was near his room."

"Mmmhmm." Alberta focused back on her work and Rose exited the bathroom. Jenée noticed her and demanded- in Russian- to be handed over. Rose carefully took her.

"Kiss better, Momma?" Jen asked while looking at the cleaned and bandaged wounds.

"If you want to, Princess, Momma will be better even if you don't."

"Me wanna." Jen smiled and reached up to kiss near the wounds. Rose's eyes popped out and she looked at Jenée in shock and fear.

"Jen, no more. _Ever_."

"But-"

" _ **No**_ ," Rose sharply cut Jenée off.

Curious and worried, I pulled Rose aside while Jen was left napping on Alberta's lounge.

"What happened, Rose? With Jen? What did you tell her not to do?"

"I- I just... I mean, I knew she was special... but- _Gah_!" _Who knew Rose Hathaway would ever be left tongue tied?_

"Rose," I warned gently, "what did our baby do?" Genetically or not, Rose and I were both Jenée's parents, and certainly would be after graduation.

Tears of surprise and uncertainty gathered in her eyes. "She... healed me. Like Lissa. She _literally_ kissed it better. I don't get how, Dimitri! She's a dhampir. Not to mention she's barely _two_!"

I placed my hands on Rose's shaking shoulders. "Roza, settle. We'll deal with it. One step at a time, just as we always do."


	19. Testing time

RPOV

After the kidnap fail, Lissa was put on med's that blocked her from the magic and stabilised her mood. As for Jenée and her magic... I didn't want to even think about thinking about it. At two years old, it was hard to stop her from healing me or Dimitri. Jen didn't fully grasp why she shouldn't heal us and she struggled to fight the instinctive need to take away her parents' pain. She listened to us when Dimitri and I told her off, no matter how hard she found not touching the magic.

After visiting Victor, I also knew how Jenée existed. I strongly disliked how he had figured out who Jen's father was and my relationship with Dimitri. _How could I ever be sure he wouldn't ever expose my secrets?_ That question was another worry I didn't want to think about.

Four days after that same visit and killing Natalie I was in guardian admin with our resident tattoo specialist receiving my first molnija for my third kill.

"She won't have the promise mark," commented Lionel while analysing my blank-canvas neck. The molnija's were two lightning bolts that crossed to form an _x_ shape; meanwhile, the promise mark was a stretched out _S_ -shaped mark that ran up the middle of the necks of guardians when they graduated and swore to love and die to protect the Moroi. It was nearly unheard of for a novice to make a kill, but I had done it again and this time I had to be marked for it. All novices saw the molnija's as badges of honour, but my opinion had changed. This tattoo was going to be a horrible reminder of killing someone I had called a friend, even if she had betrayed both me and Lissa through colluding with her father. She had been a friend who made a mistake or few and had given up all her morals and her magic to win her father's favor, and I had been the one to end that.

"It happens," Alberta sighed, "do the molnija. We'll add the promise mark later."

With that, I leaned my head forward and let Lionel have full access to my neck. I bit my lip when the needle stung while biting into the sensitive skin and irritated it. I would not let Jenée see a needle causing me pain.

When Lionel was done some time later, he let me see the mark in a couple of mirrors then bandaged it and gave me some instructions to take care of it while it healed. I'm sure Dimitri would remind me later.

The first person to come see me was Dimitri with Jen on his hip. He handed her to me.

"Momma hurt?" my daughter asked while peeking at my neck.

"Jenée Luca Hathaway," I warned with narrowed eyes, " _ **No**_ _._ Don't even think about it."

Dimitri smiled at me when she frowned in annoyance. "You're good." He rested a hand on my cheek while his face sobered. "Both at being her Mom and being a guardian. You didn't hesitate and I'm proud of that."

I gave him a weak smile. "Thanks."

" _Stop hogging Rose_ , Dimitri Belikov," Alberta chastised from her spot behind him; she was second in line.

Dimitri shot me a look of pure love and support that warmed my heart.

"Mitri!" Jen demanded to be handed back after kissing my cheek. I'm pretty sure the whole room of guardians laughed. I know I certainly cracked a full smile and laughed.

"Your manners, Jenée?" he asked in English then must have repeated it in Russian. Jen's face lit up as she responded. Also in Russian before babbling away once on his hip again.

Alberta gave me a hug. "Now you're completely one of us, promise mark or not."

"Thank you," I murmured.

"I look forward to seeing Jenée follow in your footsteps and also develop into a gifted young guardian."

"Only _without_ the kills before graduation."

She nodded. "Agreed."

Even Stan had a few kind words. "Welcome to the ranks, Hathaway. I hope to see you pay more attention in my class now." He may as well have been giving me a kiss on the lips given our antagonistic hate-hate relationship.

I shook my head. "I wouldn't give you the satisfaction. And thank you."

No one said _congratulations_ and for that I was thankful. This event may as well have been a wake for Natalie for almost all intents and purposes.

When I found Dimitri again he was on the phone. I gave him a curious look.

"She's free now, I'll hand you over." Dimitri passed the phone and mouthed that it was my mother.

"What a surprise, Mom. And you called Dimitri's number, of any of the campus guardians's?"

"I figured you'd be closest to Belikov since he hogs my granddaughter." The way she said _**my**_ _granddaughter_ with such affection made my heart swell with hope, joy, and even love. Maybe we could actually rebuild a mother-daughter relationship. I doubted it would ever be as strong as the one I worked tirelessly to have with Jenée, but maybe it would be so much better than this resentment and distance that existed between us currently.

"He does _not_ 'hog' Jen, Jenée Luca Hathaway hogs him."

I swear I heard a laugh escape my mother's mouth. "Believe what you want. Anyway, I just called to say I'm proud of you. Even with Jen you're becoming the guardian I've always hoped you would be."

"Wow. Okay. Thanks. Do you want to say hi to Jen? Be warned she likes to prattle on in Russian these days."

"Russian? Really?"

"It's all a certain Guardian Dimitri Belikov's- aka Mitri's- fault. He's been teaching her both when I'm around and when he's got her for the last two classes of the day."

"Well tell him to stop. She's your daughter after all."

"I've tried. She won't stop asking him to ignore me and teach her more. Anyway, do you want to say hi to her?"

I heard a smile in her voice when she agreed. "Yes, please, Rose."

"Hey Jen! Nana's on the phone! Come say hi."

"Nana?" she asked excitedly and ran over to me. I picked her up and put Mom on speaker.

"Hello Jenée."

"Hi Nana!"

I tuned out and let them have their time. I truly did want Mom and Jen to bond in a way Mom and I hadn't.

Just over a week later, I had to leave Jenée with Lissa, Christian, and Ms Meisner so I could go to my Qualifier. Ms Meisner was a magic teacher like Ms Carmack and just as kind. Lissa was spending most of today researching spirit even if she couldn't touch the magic. Christian was going to be there both as moral support for Lissa and to entertain Jen.

"Liss, please don't let Christian practice magic in front of Jenée."

Curiosity burned through the bond and showed clearly on her face. "Why?"

I guess it was time to bite the bullet and tell her. "She's got magic," I whispered, "and I absolutely don't want her using it. I don't know what she's capable of, so I don't want to come back and have her throwing fireballs at people she doesn't like. I don't want her playing with any of the elements, _**period**_."

"Wow. Okay. I'll do my best. But you know Christian, he doesn't exactly listen."

"Tell him it's Mother's orders and I'll hound his ass if he does."

Despite wanting to defend her boyfriend and be offended on his behalf, Lissa laughed. "I'll tell him. Now go. You can't be late for this."

I nodded. "Thanks Liss. I'll see you later. Kay?"

She gave me a quick hug and I sprinted off to find Dimitri in the garages.

The tough mentor look he was giving me was priceless. "I know I'm late, sorry." Though, if I knew him well enough, he'd asked me to meet him at least half an hour early.

"You're lucky this time I asked you to be here an hour and a half early," he told me while opening the passenger door to a Honda Pilot. _What was this? Coop illegal lovers up for however long day? Please tell me someone else was coming to relieve the tension so I could focus!_

"Is anyone else coming?" I tried my best to hide my freak out.

He shook his head. "No. It's just us." His eyes portrayed his real emotions. He was completely fine with this. _Oh god. What next!_

"How far away is it?" I asked once Dimitri was sitting in the driver's seat. _He just_ _ **had**_ _to be behind the wheel, didn't he?_

"Five hours," Dimitri said as if it was nothing.

"Oh."

I wasn't sure if I was disappointed or not. It wasn't near enough alone time with Dimitri, but it made our destination too far away from Jenée. Speaking of my daughter, I changed the topic to distract myself from the way Dimitri's clean, sharp scent from his aftershave filled the car and made me weak at the knees. "Will we be able to go to Missoula on the way back? I need to get that crazy daughter of mine a Christmas present... or three."

Dimitri chuckled and reached across the _console to place a hand on my knee. Did he have to? Not that you'll be finding me complaining._ "It's one reason I asked you to meet me so early. I want to get her something too- if you'll let me, that is."

I laughed and took his hand in both of mine. I loved what those hands of his could do to me. _Oh,_ _ **ENOUGH**_ _, Rose! Big test taking you away from your baby, remember that? Yeah. Focus on that._ And answering Dimitri's question _._ "You don't need to ask, Comrade. She's made herself your baby as much as mine."

If I'd thought Dimitri's stern-mentor face earlier had been priceless it was nothing compared to the way he melted and relaxed when I acknowledged the rights Jenée had given him when she made him her father figure. "Thank you, Roza."

"There's no need to thank me, but you're welcome."

Silence fell in the car and I was left wondering about the Qualifier. It was a Junior-year novice test you either passed or didn't. High ranked guardians visited Academies and individually interviewed students. The whole thing was shrouded in mystery because no one knew what was actually assessed until they'd been through it. Though rumours said they assessed character and dedication, and some had been deemed unfit to continue on and graduate.

The quiet got to me after a while. I missed Jen's chatter, even her Russian ramblings. "Why are we going to them? Don't they usually come to us?"

A cheeky look crossed my lover's gorgeous, handsome face and his brown eyes sparkled with a secret. _What was he hiding?_ "You're just going to a _him_. And since he's doing us the favour, we're visiting him."

"Who?"

A grin crossed his face and I suddenly knew.

"No! You're Not taking me to Arthur Schoenberg... you _are_! Dimitri, _why_?" I pleaded. "Are you _trying_ to give me a heart attack?"

Arthur Schoenberg was a retired head of the Guardian Council who now protected a Badica family. We studied his history of exploits in our curriculum and nearly half of the standard novice repertoire was because of him. And I'd known for a while Dimitri was in favor with him.

"I told him I needed to sort out your Qualifier and he offered." Dimitri smiled. "Besides, if he approves of you it bodes well to you being assigned to Lissa."

"We _are_ fixing that come graduation. Right?"

Dimitri brought my hand to his lips. "Yes, we will. Nothing can ever tear me from you, or Jen. You have no idea how much I love you, both of you."

I grinned and sighed happily. "We love you too, Comrade."

Silence engulfed us again and I was left questioning if I could match his standards. My grades were good, sure, but taking Lissa on the run for over two years and all the fights I'd gotten in, plus Jenée, meant I may not have been able to redeem myself even with all the tests I'd had to take the first few weeks I'd been back. I doubted even a kill would be enough prove my dedication.

"You'll be fine, Roza. Not even Jen can take your future from you." _Why did he have to be able to read my mind sometimes?_

"Thanks, Coach," I teased. I was still trying to ignore the urge to kiss him. And do so much more to shared the heat that- _**No, Rose!**_

"I'm here to help," he returned the light note and kissed the back of my hand again. From the look on his face I realised I wasn't the only one fighting the urge to- _No! Just..._ _ **NO**_ _!_

"You know what would help? Is if you changed this crap music off and put on a kids station."

Dimitri laughed. "Rose, human kids aren't up at this hour, remember?"

"Then it's lucky my iPod wasn't confiscated."

"Fine," he chuckled, "on the condition there's eighties or country kids music on it."

I groaned. "You're horrible. You know that, right?"

"You didn't seem to think so a couple of weeks ago."

I blushed and looked out the side window. " _Don't go_ _there_! It's already tense enough." I whined.

I convinced Dimitri to stop in at a 24 hour diner.

"Table for two?" the hostess batted her eye lashes at Dimitri. Dimitri grabbed my hand and squeezed.

"Yes, please."

The hostess named Hanna, according to her badge had bleached blond had, blue eyes I'm pretty sure were contacts, a fake tan as obvious as the sun at human midday, and Horrendous flirting skills. I almost laughed, if I weren't so angry. I knew Dimitri was hotter than smokin' hot, but that didn't mean you were allowed to hit on someone else's boyfriend in front of said girlfriend. Especially when she could kick your ass in less than two seconds flat.

I sat at right angles to Dimitri. Hanna handed over menus, ensuring Dimitri got a face-full of A-cup boobs. She didn't notice when Dimitri averted his gaze and caught my own. He mouthed _'only you, so settle'._

I pouted and he surprised the hell out of me when he pecked my lips.

"We're out of town- _way out of it,_ " he whispered in my ear when he noticed my surprised look.

"What was that about?" I asked after I noticed Hanna- aka the slutty waitress- had left.

"I love you and you looked ready to murder her. You're too precious to end up in jail because of jealousy. Besides, I share your child with you, remember?"

"What are we going to do about her next year, Dimitri? I don't want her at the Academy, but you'll be who knows where with who knows whom." I heard the anguish in my voice. Judging by Dimitri's compassionate expression he caught it too.

"I don't want her there either"

"But what other options are there?"

"I'm sure Lissa could pull strings at Court, get her tutors."

I pursed my lips. "I don't like asking those things of her. Anyway, we'll be at College, possibly across the country. I mean, there's likely a day care on campus, but the expense," I shook my head and sighed, "it's an incredible rip off. And I'm not sure I could leave her there all day. And what about when she misses you? There's only so much _FaceTime_ and _Skype_ can do."

The hostess returned with my Pepsi and Dimitri's lemonade. She shot me a dirty look when she thought Dimitri wasn't paying attention. I ordered a steak sandwich with salad and a side order of fries. Dimitri ordered a pork roll and salad.

"If we can't work with that then we have to leave her at the Academy... or... or we could move her to Russia in the interim."

"I couldn't possibly ask that of your family! I know you say they'll love me and that they'd love her just as much. But three years with them is too long. I could possibly handle it a month or two at a time, but I couldn't hand her over to them and have her impose on them for three full years."

Dimitri's hand shot out and gently cupped the left side of my face. I couldn't help but lean into the comforting touch. I placed a butterfly kiss on the heel of his hand. "They wouldn't see it as imposing, Roza. Just like you, if she's my family then she's theirs. I could ring Mama now and she'd instantly agree with nearly no explanation."

I shook my head. "I couldn't do it. We couldn't pay them enough- she's high-maintenance and you know it, Comrade."

"The only other option is forking out the extra fees for another three years at the Academy."

I groaned and collapsed onto his shoulder. "I could never wish I didn't have her, I just wish you hadn't made me bring her into our society. I've only ever planned on sending her to a normal school."

Dimitri wrapped one arm around me and held me closer to him. "Could you really have managed being on the run for the rest of her life?"

"It was easier to manage and plan her future and our present. Now..." I sighed again. "Now there's too many extra factors. One being the wages and that ruins it all."

"I know it's the hardest on you, but you really should consider sending her to Russia in the meantime. It's the cheapest option and she'll be so loved and have so much direct attention."

"I know, Comrade. But what if she comes to resent me for it?"

"She won't. We'll see her every time we take time off."

He made it sound so easy. I wish it was that simple. She was my baby, my miracle, my Princess. I know she's turned into a Daddy's girl, but she was still my world. _How could I handle being six thousand miles away from her round-the-clock for months on end?_ I don't know if I could survive. "I don't know if I could stand her being nearly ten thousand miles away. What if she sees Christian playing with fire tonight and copy's him then burns your mother's house down? What then?"

"Then she's probably played with water too and could put it out before it burns the house down."

"You make it sound so easy..."

Dimitri pressed a gentle kiss to my head. "It could be that easy, but I don't know how hard it is to think of being so far away from her. Right now, I hate my job for taking me from our baby."

"How did my Mom hand me over when I was four and nearly never look back?"

"I don't know, Roza, I don't know."

"Tell me about them, what's changed?"

Dimitri's face lit up. "Karo had a baby. A little girl. She'd have to be only about three or four months younger than Jenée. Her name's _Zoya_ and apparently she looks like every other girl in the family. Yeva's hanging in there. Randall still hasn't visited again, _thank The Lord_."

"That's, what? A decade now?"

Dimitri nodded. "Yeah. Not that my mother would let him in the house ever again."

I grinned at him. "You are one amazing man, Comrade. It's no wonder I'm so in love with you."

Dimitri leaned in and smiled against my lips. "You hold me together, but."

The only thing I could do was kiss him as if my life depended on it. "You reckon you could hold me together if I agreed to send Jenée out to Russia?"

Dimitri nodded. "I think we could hold each other together."

I took a deep breath. "Then let's make that the plan for her for the next few years. Let's surround her with her Russian family."

Dimitri's smile was invaluable. "Oh Roza, honey. They'll take great care of her, I promise."

The only other stop we made was for gas. There was two philosophies about Moroi living out in the human world. If you didn't subscribe to getting lost in the crowd in the big cities you subscribe to the theory this Badica branch did, where you weren't noticed in smaller towns because there was fewer people to notice you. This family also-guessing by the smoking chimney, TV, and lights on in the wood-sided, bay-windowed, single-story rambler- lived on a schedule somewhere between the human and nocturnal.

"Time to shine, Rose," Dimitri smiled before jumping out of the Pilot.

The snow was easily an inch thick, but the river rock sidewalk had been salted. Being night, Dimitri walked close to me to subtly slipped me his replacement spare stake.

When we reached the front door Dimitri knocked. The one and only Arthur Schoenberg opened the door. _Oh god. Help!_ My nerves spiked. I was Rose Hathaway, the mother who'd killed two Strigoi while pregnant at the age of 15, but I was scared of the legend in front of me.

He offered both of us smiles and a handshake after welcoming us in the door.

"Dimitri. And you must be her," his blue eyes sparkled just a little but more and his smile widened a little, too. "You must be Rose Hathaway. Dimitri's told me a number of good things about you."

"Don't listen to him, Guardian Schoenberg, he's known me since I was thirteen and was my biased mentor even back then."

"Rose," Dimitri chastised while Arthur led us into the lounge room.

"It's true, though."

"Don't stress, either of you. Joanne, Miss Hathaway's here for her Qualifier. Dimitri, feel free to sit anywhere and make yourself at home again. I'm not letting you influence Miss Hathaway anymore than you already have by mentoring her. So, shoo."

"Rose, please, Guardian Schoenberg."

Dimitri nodded at Arthur then sent me a reassuring smile. "Do this for Lissa and Jenée."

"Dimitri, shoo! She'll be fine. You know I don't bite." Arthur had to be older than Alberta, maybe on the cusp of middle sixties, but he still had a spritely vibe and lethal aura. His free-from-greys dirty-blond hair and minimal wrinkles proved as much. So did the cheeky smile he sent me. It was nothing like the cheeky smiles Dimitri sent me, it had what I guessed to be the feel of a lively, youthful grandparent's. I felt reassured by that smile. _Maybe this would be a smoother process than I previously thought._

I shot Dimitri a ' _behave_ ' look before following Arthur to a study. He sat on one side of the IKEA style desk that was at odds to the rest of the house's furniture. He gestured for me to sit opposite him.

"So, Rose, I guess my first question would have to be: Who is Jenée?"

"Jenée- or Jen, for short- is my 29 month old daughter." She technically wasn't until Monday, but it was only two days later so I didn't care about the difference.

"If I'm right, you were on the run with Princess Dragomir at the time you were pregnant with her. How did you balance motherhood with guarding?"

"I'm surprised I didn't miscarry with the way we escaped; I didn't know I was three months pregnant at the time. To be frank, Guardian Schoenberg, I can't quite explain how I managed it. I took Lissa everywhere with me. I used the then-advanced techniques Dim-"

Arthur laughed when he noticed I was going to correct myself. "You've known him long enough, so just call him Dimitri as you obviously normally do."

"Thanks. Anyway, I used the techniques Dimitri had taught me: Carnegie's Quadrant Surveillance," I continued to list the main techniques I'd used and the kills I'd made while pregnant. "When Jen was born- early at that- I moved us again and we went to one of those schools that has a crèche. We stayed in at night and shared a room. Jen had this habit of waking me up just before one of Lissa's recurring dreams would. I always went to bed after both Lissa and Jen had gone to sleep and was up again before both once Jen started sleeping through the night. I still kept waking every couple of hours even when Jen started sleeping through the night. Then I started night potty training her about six months ago now, and neither Jen nor I went back to sleep after two in the human morning. When Jen started walking, she walked between Lissa and me. It's hard to explain, it was just sort of... natural to adapt at each stage."

Then he asked the question I never wanted to hear. "If you had to choose your charge and your daughter, who would you save?"

"It would break my heart, but I would pick my charge. Hopefully Jen could hold her own, even if it was just run away."

His wise blue eyes studied me. "You still might hesitate, you still might choose your daughter."

I shook my head when I thought of her magic. Could she learn to use fire as a weapon to save herself? "I know she's strong. Beside's... Dimitri's family is taking her in until she can go to St Vlad's to start first grade. Then she'll be at the Academy."

"And if she visits after she graduates and your charge is Princess Dragomir?"

"Then we'd team up to protect Liss."

Arthur nodded approvingly with a thoughtful expression.

After answering a few questions about training with Dimitri, killing Natalie and my role in the whole saving Lissa from Dashkov even by taking her on the run- how he knew about that I'll never know- he smiled again. Then he said the words I hadn't expected. "Well, Rose, I think one day you and Dimitri will be legends in your own right and I am honored to tell you I see no reason to take your graduation from you. Dimitri's high praise is well deserved and I agree with his judgements even if that Headmistress of yours doesn't. Welcome to the ranks, and feel free to call me _Art_."

We returned to the lounge and I grinned at a very restless and anxious Dimitri. "I did it!" I squealed in a whisper.

"You should be proud of her, Dimitri, very proud of her. I think the future of guarding theory, attitudes, and techniques rest in her hands."

Dimitri grinned and pulled me into a hug after asking me with his eyes. "I'm so proud of you, Rose. I always have been."

I squeezed back and stepped away, much as I would've stayed in his warm, completing embrace for the rest of my life. "Th- oh shit!" _That_ nausea hit me just before the glass shattered and the door was forced open. In came the Strigoi. Strigoi don't get the jump on me anymore. Chaos ensued and the last thing I registered before battle-lust took over was that Art, Dimitri, Joanne, another resident guardian I didn't know the name of, and I created a circle around the family even though one of the kids had already had her neck snapped. They don't get to kill kids. Not while I'm on watch. I saw red and channeled my fury into firepower.

"No," I cried when we had finished battling and started analysing. "No! No, no, no!" I sobbed. Little Julie Badica was dead along with her older sister and brother. _How had I not saved them! How had I failed to save the children?_

"Rose," Dimitri's honey accent called to my soul. But I couldn't listen. I just stared at the bodies of the innocent two year old and five year old girls and six year old boy and tried to stop the tears from flowing down my cheeks. The only non-Strigoi fatalities were the kids and Joanne. _How had I let the Strigoi get to the kids?_ I was at fault. I had an alarm but hadn't reacted quick enough. I hadn't been fast enough with my strikes to the Strigoi hearts. _I did this!_

"Rose," another male voice said and arms that weren't Dimitri's embraced me. "This isn't your fault. You saved me. You saved Mom, Aunt Hallie and Uncle Drew. You saved Guardian Belikov and Schoenberg."

"But I let them die! I let the babies die, Peter! It is my fault. I wasn't fast enough. I wasn't strong enough."

"Let me deal with her, Peter," Dimitri gently extracted me from one on my my Moroi classmate's arms then from the house.

"I let them die, Dimitri!" I sobbed into his chest. "I let the babies die! I let Julie die." _She could've been great friends with Jen._

"Shhh." Dimitri ran a hand through my hair and let sweet Russian nothings fall from his lips while the sunrise creeped on breaking around us, bathing us in the only warmth and safety we had left. And even that was dubious because somehow humans were now Strigoi minions.

DPOV

Rose cried herself to sleep in my arms. After locking her in the car I returned to the house to help with the investigation. But Art waved me off. "Go get you and Rose cleaned up. I'm pretty sure I know who has how many kills, so get Rose home. She needs her friend and her daughter right now, she needs you to get her home. So go. We can handle this." He gestured to Tamara and her SWAT team colleagues. "Can't we, Tammy?"

"Of course, Art. I was taught by the best."

I could just hear Rose's indignant ' _Hey_!' Then again, she's biased in my favor.

She still saw me as invincible, as some kind of god. The irony was that she's my greatest weakness, she's my Achilles heel, and for all her insane talent for reading me, she hasn't figured out how scared I am of letting her down, of disappointing her. She doesn't realise I want to give her the world but am terrified of not being able to make her happy and do what she wants and needs because I don't have the power. I'm scared I'll one day lose her to a Moroi who can throw money away on showering her with gifts and bouquets of roses and flowers every other day. I had been unnerved enough by the way Ivan bathed her gifts, god rest his soul. I was still unnerved by what he'd given to her in his will, what she was yet to receive.

As soon as I started the Pilot's ignition Rose woke. Damn it!

"Babe, we should get you cleaned up then go home."

Rose frowned and shook her head. "I don't wanna go straight back to the Academy. I wanna go shopping for Jen, to take my mind off it. And I have the worst headache ever!"

I reached across to the bag on the seat behind her. "Here, there's stuff in there that should help."

"I can't go through your bag, Comrade."

"Yes, you can. If it's mine, it's yours. I don't get how you can say that when you're harbouring half my shirts and at least two pairs of sweatpants. First aid should be front pocket, bottle of water and the food you made me buy should be in the main part."

"Don't turn this on me," she teased.

"Are you sure you still want to go shopping?" I asked Rose when we were approaching Missoula.

"Yup. It's not like we can come before Christmas next week."

"Well then, the mall is waiting for us."

"The mall waits for no one," she shot back playfully.

I couldn't not smile at her resilience. She has always been one of the strongest people I know and it's one of the major reasons I love her.

"Where are you?" Alberta demanded the millisecond I answered. Rose was looking at getting Jen a trike from the both of us.

"Missoula. I did warn you Rose would want to go Christmas shopping for Jenée."

Rose caught my eye and gestured between a _Little Mermaid_ themed trike with blue and pink streamers or a _Winnie-the-Pooh_ one with red and yellow streamers. I pointed to _The Little Mermaid_ themed one. Jen was Disney Princesses obsessed so it was the obvious choice.

"Well get her back here ASAP because we have a situation with Jenée."

"What sort?"

"She burned a hole in the roof of Meisner's classroom. _**With. Magic.**_ "

My eyes locked on Rose's and I knew she knew.

"I'm going to make Christian regret babysitting her today. He's not going to get to babysit her again until she's learned her control. I warned Lissa, I really did. This is why I'm scared to leave her side."

"Later, Alberta." I hung up and focused on Rose. "Settle, Rose. Everything will be fine."

"Jenée Luca Hathaway," Rose chastised the second she laid eyes on her in Alberta's office. "I told you: _No. Magic_. I told Aunt Lissa to make sure Christian didn't play with fire while around you. Now, say _sorry_ to Alberta and Ms Meisner or Mommy will tell Santa you don't want Christmas presents."

Jenée's face looked so guilty it made my heart break. "Sorry Alberta, sorry Ms M."

"Good girl. I think Mitri will need to work on your impulse control."

"Rose, we want to know how it's possible for her to use magic," Ms Meisner commented. "The only way I see that happening is through running a DNA test."

Rose's face set into an expression only anything Jenée-related could bring about. " _No_ ," she said in a dangerous voice. "You are _never_ experimenting on my child." The look in my partner's eyes was one of sheer protectiveness and defiance. "I have the final say as her mother, and that is you are _never_ touching her. I'll die before I let you experiment on my daughter."

Alberta and Meisner both looked a little shaken by Rose's maternal instincts flaring up. "How else do you expect to figure out-"

"When Lissa bonded me, she must have sent spirit into my eggs. I don't care if you think there's other explanations, because this isn't going to get out. I won't have her subjected to extra bullying from this age. _She's still a_ _ **baby**_ _!_ "


	20. Christmas drama

RPOV

I decided that Christian's ass-hounding could wait. Sure, I was pissed at him and Lissa knew he was well-and-truly out of my favor when it came to being near Jen in small gatherings.

"I get what he did, but he's seriously worried about what you're going to do him."

I grinned almost evilly while we helped wrap the presents both she and I had gotten for Jenée. Dimitri had her trike already wrapped and hiding in his wardrobe. He was on babysitting duty tonight and Jenée hadn't stopped babbling on in Russian from the time I told her she was getting to stay over with _Papa_.

"That's the point, Lissa. That fear should teach him nearly as much as any actual punishment. Sure, I'll follow through with it- I already know from Jenée that punishments need to be enforced if you're going to resort to them, but I guess we can consider this a punishment of its own. Besides, I have to handle Jen's obsession with the stuff first."

Lissa laughed. Her understanding and sympathy rushed through her and reached out to me through the bond. "Then why is she with Dimitri tonight?"

Now it was my time to laugh. "Why? Because he may actually get through to her sometime soon..." I trailed off, remembering the agreement he and I had come to yesterday regarding our baby girl. "We... talked about her yesterday..."

Hope surged in her. "You finally told him?"

I shook my head. "I hate it. But I can't. Not with every other hoop she's already throwing our way. But, we made a choice about where she'll be until she has to come here for Kindy."

Confusion ran through Lissa's veins. _If Jen wasn't staying here, then wasn't she coming with us?_ "What- what did you choose? Where will my niece be next year?"

I stopped wrapping up the Russian kids CD and book I was wrapping on Dimitri's behalf. I looked Lissa straight in the eyes and smiled, letting out the happiness I harboured and hid from myself. "Russia. Jenée will be with the Belikovas until she has to return for school. We want her somewhere remote, somewhere hidden so she'll be forgotten about for a while, while she also receives a relatively drama-free pre-school childhood. We want her around her Russian family."

As I suspected she would be, Lissa was hurt. Sending Jen to Russia was also creating six thousand miles separation between them. But she laughed at the tiny bit of humour she found in my words. "Are you sure they don't know?"

"200 percent positive."

The next day Mom was waiting outside Alto's classroom again.

"Where's Jenée?"

My jaw honest-to-god fell to the floor. No _'Hi Rose, how are you? How's Jenée?'_ Just straight up, _'Where's my granddaughter?'_

"Thanks for worrying about me. Hi Mom and I'm fine, thanks. As for Jen, Alberta's got her for a double."

Janine Hathaway's eyes shone with the exasperation she was working hard to hide. "Hi Rose. How _are_ you? Really. I heard about the Badica attack, clearly." She gestured to where we currently stood. There was still an awkward and uncertain tension between us.

"So your charge is coming on the ski trip?" It was almost a case of what royal- and even some common- Moroi _weren't_ coming with us to the ski lodge in Idaho. The news of the attack had travelled fast despite efforts to keep it under-wraps. Stupid Moroi knew how to exercise their tongues and gossip wheels.

Mom nodded. "Of course. Rose, how are you coping? I know the details, of course. You've dished out three kills in two weeks."

A look broke through Mom's tightly enforced guardian mask that looked extremely suspiciously like compassion and understanding. I wasn't sure what to make of it.

"I'm coping. I've got Jen and Lissa to worry about. And Christmas. It's incredibly challenging to hide Jenée's presents from her right now. Wrapped or otherwise, it's nearly impossible. Though I do hope she gets a lot of use from the trike Dimitri and I bought her."

Mom's eyes bulged in surprise. "You and Belikov bought her a _trike_?" she asked in utter disbelief.

"We still haven't decided if that's going to be her present from Santa or not, but yeah, we bought her a _Little Mermaid_ trike." I laughed at the thought of her ripping open the wrapping then her reaction once Dimitri assembled it. Such a Daddy's girl. She'd give him all the credit whether it came from us both or from Santa just because he put it together for her. And I was more than fine with that. I loved how important he'd become in her life.

"What's funny?"

I laughed again. "Just the thought of her excited face as she rips open the wrapping. How she'll hand Dimitri all the credit because he would assemble it for her and she'll demand he plays with her with it all day, non-stop until she falls asleep."

A ghost of a smile played on Mom's lips. "You make them sound like father and daughter."

I shrugged. "They are, in their eyes he's filled in that role of her father and she's never been happier. I'm almost jealous. _Almost_. She still loves me unconditionally."

"Does that mean Belikov's going to be some odd kind of son-in-law of mine?"

I almost couldn't stop myself from laughing at the innocent way she thought Dimitri and I may end up co-parenting. Yup. She still knew shit-all about me and how to interpret me. "I think you're getting ahead of yourself there, Mom."

"It's not unheard of for relationships or at least close friendships to happen because one already has a child and the child sees the other person as their second parent."

Now I laughed. Oh, that was so far from the truth of this situation it was hilarious. "Mom, seriously, let's just come back to the subject of Jenée later. I do have class right now."

Mom laughed and she looked a little younger, a little more her age when she did so. "I told Guardian Alto I'd be taking you out of class did the first few minutes."

Dimitri's eyes caught mine when Mom and I entered the classroom. I smiled a little and offered just as small a nod. I sat between Eddie and Mason. Alto began the class. He introduced the young male guardian, that the other girls swooned over, then he introduced the older male guardian, lastly he introduced my mother. _To share their experiences in light of the recent attack_ or some such crappy reason was offered.

I almost found it insulting. Both Dimitri and I were present in this room, both of us present and participants in the defending of the family. I still struggled with coming to terms with the only dead Moroi being the three little kids. Julie Badica's little face and the image of her lying dead on the living room floor haunted me. So much that Dimitri was taking Jenée for the night again tonight. I felt like a horrible mother right now, but _how could I not when I let a Moroi baby die, one who should've been Jen's classmate and friend?_ I didn't want my nightmares, my lack of sleep getting to her. She didn't need to see her mother that way. Especially when we still had to deal with her inability to stay away from the magic. If she saw and heard me in pain, if she woke up to my twisted and restrained scream and cry she wouldn't stop reaching out to the magic. I had to get me sorted out first. I needed to have her away from temptation while I tried to heal and grieve on my own. I was still haunted by the two kills I'd made while pregnant, but between staking Natalie and letting Julie and her siblings die I was reaching my limits.

Not to mention Lissa and I had also spent a large portion of our time together yesterday discussing how her med's seemed to be wearing down, how spirit was scratching at the wall the med's made. She still couldn't touch the magic. The thought of the magic overpowering the med's and messing up her mind again scared me. Lissa didn't seem nearly near as worried as I though we both ought to be. In fact, Lissa didn't seem phased by the possibility her magic could find a way to make her go insane no matter what measures we tried to discover and take. It only served to worry me that much more.

I knew I shouldn't have, but some habits are near impossible to break. I zoned out and worried about Dimitri's and my marking ceremony this afternoon. I wondered who'd hold Jen through it while her parents got tattooed. I wondered how many kills Dimitri made, how many tattoos he'd be getting. I wondered how I was going to carry this extra guilt and trauma, how I was going to be come Christmas Eve and Day. I wondered how Dimitri and I were going to divide our time with Jenée over the ski trip. I didn't even know what any of our plans were for that time period. Christian would be wherever Lissa was, but Lissa didn't know where she wanted to be. Mason and Eddie wanted to do our typical novice get together in our dorm's lobby. I wanted something just with me, Dimitri, and our baby. But he said he also had an old friend coming to visit, though he had promised to try spending most of Christmas Day with me and Jenée. As for Jen, she wanted Papa, Momma, Aunty Lissa, Chrissie (Christian), Mase, and Ed-Ed all together. Of course she did. She loved them all in different ways and in a weird way we all were family.

Mom showed up at the marking in guardian admin. Jen squirmed in Dimitri's arms when she saw her Nana.

"Nana! Nana! Nana! _NanaNanaNana_!" she squealed.

Mom's face lit up and she leaned down to Jen's height when Dimitri released our baby. She opened her arms and Jen barrelled into them. Mom picked Jen up and kissed all over her face, causing Jenée to have a giggling and laughing fit.

My eyes met Dimitri's and we shared a tender smile. "She's an innocent and a Hathaway," we laughed.

"Nana, _stop_!" A certain edge to her voice had Dimitri and me on edge. _No way in hell! She was too young for compulsion. Surely! She had to be to young for compulsion, surely._

"Jenée Luca Hathaway," we warned, "settle and behave." We laced each word with such a power that she couldn't possibly ignore the warning to keep her hands from reaching out to the magic.

"Momma! Papa!" And on she whined in Russian. Dimitri looked like it was taking all of his control to hide his amusement at whatever it was Jen was going on about.

"Dimitri," I pleaded quietly, " _stop_ teaching her, or at least shut her up so we can get this over with." _I love you both and all,_ but I seriously hated feeling like it was no longer the _Rose and Jen Hathaway_ show but the _Dimitri Belikov and Jenée Belikova_ show instead. Even Mom was getting more attention from her than I was at the moment. _I didn't know how to feel about that._

Two marks each later and Dimitri was leading me to training. Jenée, oddly enough, was not in our midst. Our baby was spending the afternoon with her grandmother.

"I can't stand this!" I complained when I slammed shut the door to the gym. "I can't stand Jen's impulse control... or her inability to learn it, I should say."

Dimitri cut me an amused look that seemed to say 'look who's talking'. "Rose, you need to relax. She'll learn. It's really only been a small collection of days."

I glared at him. "Stop sounding so damn reasonable!"

His amused expression fell away and his gentle brown eyes calmly studied me with a purpose. "She'll be fine, Rose, really." He could have said those words in any number of ways, yet they way he let them flow from his mouth was the one way that would truly resonate with me. _Calmly confident. Supportive. Loving._ They reached my soul and achieved their goal. He had just reassured me our daughter would be perfectly okay in her unaware Nana's care. _Why was his voice like my own personal type of compulsion? Why did I have to be so vulnerable around him?_

"Where are we going?" I asked when he led me away from the gym after calling an early finish to training.

"You'll see when we get there," he said with a mischievous, almost conspiring twinkle coming through layers upon layers of his thick guardian mask, the thicker one he tended to wear around me when he didn't want others catching on to the dirty things he wanted to do with me or remembering the dirty deeds we had already done.

"Dimitri!" I whined when we reached the edge of the forest. "Where are you taking me?"

His hand laced with mine while the tree cover grew. His demonic thoughts displayed themselves on his handsome, now relaxed face.

"Really, Comrade? You know you could get done for corrupting me, right?"

To my shock, Dimitri laughed. "You're the one guilty thoughts."

"You're the one wearing the devilish expression."

He tugged us to an abrupt stop and pulled me into his warm and safe embrace before tipping my chin up and bringing his lips to rest on- just barely touching- mine. _Where was I? What had I been worried about? Why would I ever feel alone or scared or guilty when Dimitri was always going to be right here, supporting and understanding me like no other could?_ "So sue me, you're worth it." His gentle breath and soft, heavenly lips warmed my entire body just like his embrace warded off the biting cold of the winter air we stood in.

"I couldn't do that to you," I smiled and breathed back, scared to break this beautiful moment.

Just now, it was only us, alone in the forest we could imagine we were lost in that wasn't surrounding Academy grounds. Right now, we didn't have a two year old with weird magic. Right now, we hadn't been through a life-and-belief changing Strigoi attack. Right now, just for a few moments, we could imagine we hadn't just been marked with an extra two kills each. I looked into the eyes that read my soul and his looked into mine before while our touching lips pressed desperately against each other's in a kiss that screamed love and passion and dedication and support and a whole, whole, _whole_ lot more.

" _I love you_ , Roza, I can _never, ever_ say it _enough_ ," he murmured into my ear after butterfly kissing his way across my cheek.

"I love you too," I said breathlessly while he nibbled against my soft spot behind my ear. " _Dimitri_!" I moaned softly. "Anyone could catch us!" I complained reluctantly. I loved the heat and fire he was lighting me with, but I didn't want him getting caught. It wasn't unheard of for us students to get caught out here doing crazy things. But my mentor making me weak to the knees with his gentle ministrations? Yeah, that was going to land me with more than just a detention Dimitri couldn't get me out of and take him from Jenée.

"Extremely unlikely," he murmured and pushed my back up against a big tree trunk with a gentle, nearly inaudible _thunk_. He let his teeth teasingly graze down to the base of my throat and back up to behind my ear. My legs snaked around his to keep myself upright while my hands traveled under his shirt and around to his back where my nails bit into the soft flesh that covered his hard, lean muscles. When my nails bit into his back his teeth sensually bit into my soft spot.

"Oh, Dimitri!" I gasped in surprise and pleasure. That was going to be leaving a mark, but right now I didn't give a damn. No vampire bite could match the rush of physical and emotional delight of Dimitri's kisses, his hickeys especially.

"Roza..." he moaned against the spot where he was marking me as his. " _My Roza._ "

A mumbled agreement and sound of _pure_ _ **bliss**_ escaped my lips. I was owned by no one but I belonged with Dimitri. I'd been destined to end up by his side no matter what.

It was moments with him like these I treasured. They were all too rare and we had too long to wait until age and status allowed us to be together. We would always have eyes on us and gossip circulated about us, very bad gossip at that, but society would have to deal. We were in love and had been for years, it was irrelevant that we were both dhampirs and guardians, that there was a seven year age gap and student-teacher history. Our love was exactly that. A love no one could meddle with.

When we recovered we continued on, walking out to a very familiar, little, worn-out, old and currently snow-dusted log cabin. I hugged closer to Dimitri when it came into view, my pulse raced, and my breath caught. That cabin was where my whole life had changed. Dimitri wrapped me in him and our eyes met. He smiled.

"That good, huh?" he murmured.

"You don't know the _half_ of it," I told him teasingly, my voice remained just as soft and quiet as his, leaving the tender air around us untouched.

A hum of familiar feelings sang to me not moments before a familiar little voice's laugh and Russian babble hit my ears. My eyes widened and I jumped in Dimitri's arms. I grinned at him. "She's here? She's really here?"

Dimitri nodded. "Yeah. I planned it with your mother at lunch."

"Is Mom here?"

Dimitri shook his head. "Don't you want to go see our baby skating for the first time?"

I nodded and sprinted around to the edge of the pond that was on the other side of the cabin, leaving Dimitri behind.

"Momma!" Jen squealed and skated over as if she was sliding along tiles in slippery socks. She had her light lilac purple faux-duck-down jacket on, her curls flying out behind her in reckless abandon, and her blue Elsa mittens on with her fingers wriggling from in their safety and demanding my attention. Her happy, exhilarated smile was priceless and so invaluably precious. I leaned down to her height. She'd had a growth spurt since Lissa and I were dragged back and she was brought along for the ride, and it was getting blatantly obvious she was one day going to be taller than me.

"Aren't you cold, missy?" I joked as I let her skate into my open arms. "I could swear Momma put a beanie and scarf on you this morning since _Mitri_ _ **didn't**_." I sent Dimitri a playful glare over my shoulder.

"Momma!" she whined. Then started babbling in Russian.

"English, Jenée Hathaway. Aren't you cold?"

"No," she huffed proudly and defiantly.

"God! You _are_ my child, _aren't you?_ "

"Well, yeah! ' _Course_ I am, Momma!" Jen put one hand on her hip and raised one brow. I wanted to have a heart attack. She had never looked so much like an absolutely perfect, perfectly rebellious combination of both of her parents. From behind me and in front of me, laughs resounded.

A string of Russian came from behind me. Jenée nodded with a pout before laughing.

I stood and spun on Dimitri. " _When_ are you going to listen to me and _stop teaching her_? I can't talk to my baby anymore."

"Then start learning it," he shrugged nonchalantly.

I gasped dramatically. "Says the one who won't teach me!"

"Relax, Rose," laughed Lissa from beside Christian. He looked at Jen with a tender expression but at me with a scowl and a little fear. _Good_. _Maybe it'll teach him something, like_ _ **not**_ _messing with this very badass mother._

"You didn't tell me you were bringing Jenée's mother as a party crasher, Dimka," came from the voice that wasn't Lissa's, Christian's, Dimitri's, or Jen's. It was feminine and I noted the subtle flirting note. I tensed.

Dimitri sent me a look that told me to behave or my ass would be sore in the morning. Though it didn't say if it would be from a night of pleasure or a training full of simply purely running and sparring. I suspected the latter though I'd prefer the former. _Both of us would, I'm sure._

Dimitri shrugged and laughed. "Rose would find out Jen was here and come anyway. Impossible for her to stay from places she shouldn't be."

"Says the one who's on babysitting duty again tonight. But I swear, Dimitri, if I find her having been dressed without a scarf or beanie I won't let you near her for the rest of the school year," I threatened emptily and Dimitri knew it was exactly that, _an empty threat_.

"Like she'd let you and as if you could stop her. You'd just annoy Momma in Russian wouldn't you, Miss Jenée?" laughed Dimitri before repeating the last part in Russian.

I groaned when Jen started chattering on in baby Russian. I was _never_ going to be able to stop them _so why was I continuing to bother trying to stop them?_

Tasha laughed. Lissa flooded the bond with her love and affection for her niece.

"Papa!" Jen whined up at him when she started shivering. She pleaded with her arms for him to pick her up.

Tasha and Christian looked surprised, but not as if they suspected the truth. _Thank. God._

Dimitri stepped closer to Jen and scooped my baby up in his arms. Tasha handed over a pair of white, plastic blade covers from her pocket. With the way she looked between Dimitri and Jenée I shivered with dislike for and fear of the Moroi. Sure, Tasha was pretty enough, pink scar on her cheek of no, but I had this mother's-instinct to protect Jenée from her. I didn't care if she was Christian's aunt and Dimitri's old friend, she was some kind of threat to my family and I was very disturbed by the ominous feeling spreading through me because of that look.

"Let's go inside, huh? Get out of this cold, hey sweetie?" she cooed at Jenée.

Sensing something off about Tasha, just like I had, Jen snuggled into Dimitri's shoulder before nodding. If Tasha was offended by Jen's lack of verbal response she didn't show it. She simply led us into the cabin. _No!_ I couldn't have Jen and Dimitri and me and Tasha and everyone else in this place. _This place- that bed- was sacred to me!_ I sent Dimitri a pleading and worried look. He had to be delusional if he thought I could keep any of my covers with all of us in this little building. I wanted to be sick because of the levels of anxiety pulsing through my veins right now.

Lissa met my eyes when she came to my side where I was frozen. She looked between me, the cabin, Dimitri, and Jenée as she was carried further into the cabin by her Papa. "You have to tell them where she came from sometime soon," she whispered in my ear while giving me a quick hug.

"I know. I want to. I just... I _can't_."

"You know this would be easier if you weren't so tightly guarded."

I shook my head and let Christian tug her to his side.

"Jenée!" I groaned out the latest chastisement for magic use. I was sick of this. "Christian Ozera, if you weren't a Moroi," I threatened, "I would already have sent you six feet under for this. She's a fire hazard because of _you_!" I turned to Tasha to ask her an embarrassing-on-Christian's-part question. "Was he like this at her age? Completely unstoppable and uncontrollable?"

Christian flushed and protested just as I had suspected he would.

"Yes, he was," Tasha laughed. "Even at Jenée's age, I would say Christian was possibly worse than she is at the moment."

My eyes met Dimitri's. "So we don't have to get Olena to fire proof every millimetre of her block?" I joked.

"Who Olena?" asked a sleepy-but-fighting-it Jenée from Dimitri's lap.

"My mother; your grandmother, baby girl," said Dimitri before I could stop him. Then, before I could argue, he repeated it Russian. That then morphed into a Russian lullaby and I rolled my eyes.

"No stopping you two."

Tasha smiled at me. "She's cute, Rose, but you shouldn't be so ungrateful for Dimka's help. A teen like you surely wouldn't survive on her own."

"I never said I was ungrateful. It's just... we have this... long running argument I guess you could call it, Dimitri and I. He's never agreed to teach me Russian, yet he's been teaching her from the moment he started supervising her while we resumed our outside school trainings." I shrugged. "It's just become this _thing_ , I guess. And believe me, I am _beyond grateful_ for his help with Jen, but I have survived for years with only Lissa to lean on."

"And even then, she really didn't ask me for that much support. She's been a Mom _and_ a guardian for a few years now," Lissa boasted proudly. She sent a playful look my way. "You'd be able to raise her on your own, you're resourceful and resilient enough."

I shrugged. "Possibly, but I prefer having you and Dimitri shower her in love and support."

 _Hint: If you're planning something, then,_ _ **Back. Off, Tasha!**_ _He's mine._ I don't usually get possessive of him, but I won't let Tasha rip Jen's heart in half by stealing Dimitri from her. Tasha won't take my baby from me.

After complaining about no burnt marshmallows or something just as incomprehensible Jen fell asleep in Dimitri's arms and wouldn't let him hand her over to anyone. I guessed her complaint to be about the marshmallows our group was feasting on that no one had allowed her any of so she'd do what she did.

My earlier suspicions of Tasha being Dimitri's old friend were confirmed when they started quietly bantering about the new dirt on so many mutual acquaintances I was lost once again as to how Dimitri knew so many people when he seemed so antisocial. I swear my partner knew as many Moroi and guardians as I knew Moroi and dhampir, and my personality was his polar opposite.

Meanwhile, that irritating ominous dread scratched at the surface of my skin, reaching from deep within my unsettled stomach through my twitching muscles to the underside of my skin like nerves on a red-alert.

At some point Tasha handed Jenée's Frozen-themed backpack to Dimitri, commenting about getting her little feet out of the skates. A growl dared to try escape from my chest. Jenée was my child and she was acting as if I had no say in my child's life, that I was unable to properly care for Jenée, because I was a teen.

I stood and shifted to Dimitri's other side- not missing the non-verbal message I was sending by having to sit between Dimitri and Tasha- to get my baby ready for bed. Jen was _**MY**_ child and even how she slept, curled up with her ear against Dimitri's heart and her feet in Tasha's direction seemed to say _'Leave my Momma and Daddy alone'_. If Jenee was the thing cementing my relationship-with-Dimitri's future, then Tasha was clearly trying to use her to take him from me. And Jenée was firmly on my team.

"I should take Jen home," I said abruptly. I couldn't stand being there any longer.

"I thought you said Dimka was babysitting tonight, Rose?" _Far too sickly sweet._

"I can cope with her alone, and I want her in her bed. It's far too late."

Tasha looked at Dimitri and shrugged. He looked to me in curiosity and worry. "Are you sure you're going to be fine tonight?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Have fun with your girlfriend." It was low of me, but he had to know I was onto her even if he wasn't.

"Rose!" hissed Lissa and Dimitri. Dimitri I could tell was agonised by the thought I thought he'd think of cheating on me and hurting Jen. I couldn't tell if Liss was pissed at me for being rude or for hurting Dimitri.

I stood and tried to take Jen from Dimitri but she wouldn't have it. I'd never been so edgy because she was favouring Daddy. It gave Tasha an advantage I didn't want her to have.

Tasha looked at her watch and yawned. "Before you take Jenée and Dimka home, where's the best place a girl can shop, Rose?"

I looked at Lissa. "Missoula," we answered in unison. We were also both curious about why Tasha had added Dimitri in how and where she had.

"I'll have to grab a coffee so I don't fall asleep on the drive in..."

"Can't one of your guardians drive for you?"

"Don't have any."

"How can't you have any? They're leaving a royal defenceless." _Why'd I even care?_ Maybe because she was a Moroi and a royal who should have at least one guardian even though the protocol was a minimum of two.

"If Rose is taking Jen for the night maybe I could go with you?"

 _Really? Dimtri,_ _ **really**_ _?_ Talk about two-timing. He didn't even have the decency to go behind my back.

"And keep you up all night? Keep you away from Jen incase she wants you to settle her not her mother? I couldn't do that to you, Dimka." She shook her head. It could have almost been a condescing-at-my-expense shake or an innocent refusal of a friend's offer of help.

"Jenée is quite safe in Rose's hands and Rose is capable of calming Jenée without my help." _Ouch!_

Tasha smiled and shrugged before letting us disperse after giving Dimitri a few directions and where and when to meet her.

"Just so we're clear, Tasha, Jenée was conceived on that bed."

Both Dimitri's face and Tasha's paled. I don't know if Dimitri got the subtle message but at any rate I had still aired his sex history, whether or not it was clear it was his we were talking about. At least Tasha had gotten the message I had been uncomfortable in here all this time with her subtly trash-talking my daughter and just as subtly pulling apart my parenting skills. Especially with said daughter in the room. _Payback's a bitch._

Dimitri carried Jen while we trailed behind cuddled-up Lissa and Christian on the return trip to campus. Dimitri's face was still slightly pale.

"Why?" he said suddenly. It was a quiet musing yet I heard all the pain behind it. "Rose, _why_?"

"Ask her, not me. I'm not the one moves were being made on by the older, single Moroi."

"She doesn't stand a chance," he mused while looking down at Jen absolutely adoringly. "Not with Jen in the picture."

"Try telling her that. I'm a Mom, I know when another woman is trying to steal my child off me, and I can tell you that she believes she has a chance to steal Jen. I mean, _what kind of parent can I be? Really? Compared to her?_ I'm only a reckless, unruly teenage dhampir who somehow is still on the path to being the lethal but unpredictable and unreliable near guard to the last Dragomir."

"Rose Hathaway!" he quietly cut me off with desperation leaking into his voice. "Don't let people think you're anything less than the best possible mother for Jenée. All the sacrifices you make for her rival the ones you make for Lissa. You are one brilliant mother, you're _our Jen's_ brilliant mother and for as long as we're all alive I'll do my all to see to it that you're her only mother. _Understood?_ We are the only ones deciding her major movements and future until she's eighteen. Got it, Roza? I don't care if it's biologically impossible or not, I don't care if it's registered or not, I don't care if it's recognised by the Moroi or not, and I especially don't care if it's legal or not, but she will _always_ be _our_ Jenée Luca Hathaway-Belikova. She'll always be our daughter. She decided that the day she demanded I make you happy. Nothing's going to tear her from us. Got it? I won't let her be ripped from us- from you. Got it?"

The fire and passion behind his promises had me nodding with tears in my eyes. Especially how lovingly and immovably resolutely he swore to Jenée being our baby.

Even with Jen in his arms Dimitri still managed to find a way to kiss me so deeply that my knees went weak.

DPOV

I didn't understand how Rose could ever believe I would leave her with Jenée. I didn't understand how she could ever let the opinions of others create self-doubt about how gorgeous and how great a mother she really was. She was my baby's mother, whether or not Jen was mine genetically. When Rose told Tasha that Jen had been conceived in the cabin told me that either she was just that pissed at me and Tasha because Tasha was using flirting and using Jen as a way to my heart, or she was using the opportunity to hint to me that Jenée may genetically be a Belikova. I wasn't sure. And I frankly speaking didn't give a damn either way because I only had eyes for Rose and Jenée had made me her father the second I'd laid eyes on her. Rose hadn't left me with a choice but to fall in love with her and Jenée was almost the same, she hadn't left me with a choice but to love her like her father _should_ and be _her_ father-figure.

After setting Jen in her bed in Rose's dorm I passionately kissed Rose as if my life depended on her and the kiss we were sharing. For all I know, it could have because I certainly didn't know how to cope without knowing she was safe and knowing she knew I love her.

"I love you, Roza. Never forget that, never doubt it."

I pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead before forcing myself to pull away. I wouldn't leave even for my own dorm if I didn't escape now. Rose could get me to do anything, and me not meeting Tasha to go to Missoula was no different.

"Don't go," she begged softly.

"Don't you want Jen to have a sackful of presents from Santa?"

"Don't spoil her too much! We can't afford it."

"It's impossible to spoil her too much. And I don't care if we can't afford it, she deserves to be showered with gifts, just like her mother. I love you both. Don't wait up- cancel training in the morning but don't be afraid to go to the guardian lounge for food if she wakes early."

"Hi Dimka," greeted Tasha with a smile that was boarder line flirty.

"Hey Tasha." I took the keys she offered and we hopped in the car. The hot chocolate she offered me was only single sachet. I could just tell. Rose knew it was two sachets or nothing would come of consuming it.

True conversation picked up once more when we had made it onto a main road. While the silence had been friendly enough, there was something off about it. Unlike silence with Rose where we were communicating everything in a moment of time when nothing was said, this silence had been... unbalanced, awkward, tense.

Tasha spoke first. "The Hathaways are something else." _Was that one of those backhanded insults Rose was talking about?_

"Depends on which ones you're talking about and what you mean by _something else_ ," I laughed.

Tasha laughed and while it filled the car it didn't make the air around us _hum_ like Rose's voice did. "Rose and Jenée. And I've never seen such a reckless child be such a passionate mother. I'm almost scared for Lissa that Rose will choose to have a second rather than graduate and guard."

"Why would you say that?" My breath was short and I suddenly felt as though I soon wouldn't be enough for Roza if she decided she wanted a second child. _If I was Jen's biological father,_ _ **surely**_ _Rose would spit it out? Especially if she wanted another Hathaway-Belikov/a? Surely Rose would just '_ _ **rip it off**_ _' like a bandaid and tell me I was Jen's biological father, argue over doing a paternity test, then tell me she wanted to try to give Jen a sibling?_

"It's obvious in the way she looks at Jenée. She may not realise it, but I can see the desire in her, the yearning for a little human growing inside her. She looks at you with Jen as if you've ripped that connection from her. She misses being completely depended upon by Jen."

I stayed silent. Tasha made some sense, then again, she made none. I was left wondering if she was doing what Rose had claimed: _was she using Jenée to get to me? To rip me from Rose, to tear Rose and Jenée apart?_ I couldn't see how my friend had it in her... surely she'd leave Rose and I alone if we were happy as Jenée's parents. I mean, _who could ask for a better kid than Jen?_

"I don't know how you do it, Dimka, Jenée is so full of beans I really do feel bad about this." The excitement in her voice indicated otherwise.

Still, I found myself laughing. "She gives as much energy as she takes. And I must thank you for the chance to get her some gifts from Santa I just decided she should also have."

"You're completely besotted with her," Tasha teased.

"Well yeah, she _is_ my baby."

Tasha laughed. "You know that's genetically impossible, right? And even if it was, I can tell Rose isn't the type to sleep with her teacher." Oh, how wrong she is. Then again, to us, we hadn't been student and teacher at the time.

"I don't care about her genetics, I care about her happiness and wellbeing." She didn't even have to be Rose's and I would love her to bits. But because she was a special, gifted mini-Rose I loved her all the more, it made her that much more precious to me. As long as I got to raise her with Rose, that was what mattered most.

"But wouldn't you like a child with your genetics? That you created?"

I sighed wistfully but also in frustration. _Why couldn't she leave the topic alone? Why couldn't she see that I saw Jen as my daughter in the same way I knew she saw Christian as her son?_ "Sure, I would love Jen to share my genes, but my duty doesn't grant me that privilege," _with the woman I love,_ "and I've made my peace with that."

A musing expression remained on her face for the rest of the drive.

The second we stepped in the door of the mall I fell back to far guard. She didn't like that but I wanted to use it to be able to shop as Santa while also doing my job. I came to guard and parent, not be friend others may confuse as a partner.

"Come on, Dimka," Tasha begged.

"I've got a couple jobs to do and I'd rather do them at once."

"I could help you pick stuff for Jen."

I shook my head. "I already know what I want and what Rose wants to give her."

Tasha studied me for a few moments with those ice blue eyes before shrugging. I didn't get that all-knowing, squirm-worthy feeling like I did when Rose gave me a similar expression and I found myself so accustomed to Rose's uncanny ability to read me that I wished it was Rose here giving me that scary look.

Tasha mightn't be snobby like most other royals but that didn't mean she couldn't spend like one. I may not have seen the digits of her purchases but I could be certain the little, pink, formal-type dress she bought Jenée had to have been close to a hundred dollars or more.

She stopped and studied a red, high-neck and long-sleeved, Asian style dress and its blue, black, and green alternates. Seemingly lost, her eyes met mine desperately and she subtly gestured me over. I had been studying something I wanted to give Rose, but discretely wound my way around and over to Tasha.

"You've known Rose for years now, which one would best suit her? My choice was between red and blue."

Tasha had no clue what she was making me think. I _did not have it in me to care_ what _color_ the damn dress was, not when all I saw happening when I envisaged Rose in it was me ripping it _off_ her. But if I _had_ to choose a color... "Red." It would show off every curve of her body, every wave of her hair, every sparkle in her bottomless brown eyes while revealing nearly no skin. It was the type of dress that changed lives and broke hearts. It was the type of dress that absolutely perfectly defined Rose. "It's got to be red." If it had to be a color that _wasn't it in shreds on the floor_ and Rose in her gorgeous tanned skin, then it had to be red.

After dropping our haul of bags in the car and picking up a couple of Jen's presents from loading docks we made a trip to the food court. That musing look from the car returned to Tasha's face and she but her lip nervously as we sat at a table with our food. Rose's nervous lip-nibble was always unintentionally seductive, _sexy, sensual and alluring_. Tasha's however, wasn't.

"What's on your mind, Tasha?" I wasn't enjoying the uncomfortable, nervous silence.

"Did you mean it before? That you'd love to have kids of your own?"

"Jenee _is_ my own," I replied in confusion and let the emotion show freely. "Why?"

" _Dimitri_ ," Tasha sighed, I think to hide a level of disappointment and offence and hurt. "You have to accept that Jenée will never be yours. She's Rose's, meaning she's your student's and your future guarding partner's. You have to accept that you and Rose can't play house and guard the same person."

I bit my tongue to hold back my furious response and blinked back hot tears of frustration and anger. " _It doesn't matter_ ," I said instead. "Jen is mine and that's all there is to it."

Tasha looked as frustrated with me as I felt with her, with this emerging triangle that I wished wasn't. "I'm trying to offer you the chance to guard and have a family in one."

I wanted to walk away to calm down, instead I just ran a hand through my hair. "It's a generous offer, Tasha, but blood relation doesn't translate into family and family isn't all about blood relationships."

And if anyone knew it was me. I may share blood with that abusive ass of a royal but he wasn't my family. I may not share blood with Jenée but she was still my daughter. And I would die to protect her, her and her mother. I would desert to raise and protect her. I would do anything in my power for her to live a long, safe, happy life. _Just as she deserves_.

Tasha smiled a tight-lipped, disappointed and teary smile with accompanying wet eyes. " _Oh_. Let's go back to the Academy."

I hated making women cry. This time I didn't have a choice because there was an inherent truth that had to be recognised. My family was with Rose and Jenée.

When we got back to the Academy I got straight to Jenée's-present wrapping- in wrapping that had been designated as _'Santa's wrapping'_. Rose's gift could wait to be wrapped. Once I was finished I was exhausted but sleeping alone wasn't an option right now. I _needed_ Rose and just this once I was going to make an exception to my _'stay away from her dorm unless Jenée was being dropped off or picked up'_ rule... yet again. Without being caught I snuck into Rose's dorm.

Well... I thought I hadn't been caught. Jen and Rose were up.

"Papa!"

"Shhh!" Rose and I urged in unison.

Jen bounded into my arms and Rose groaned.

"I nearly had her back down, Dimitri," playfully whined Rose.

I smiled and shook my head before kissing Jenée's cheek. "Hey baby girl," I whispered in Russian. Rose dramatically collapsed back on her bed and groaned again. "Why don't I sing you a lullaby? Both you and Momma need more sleep..." I suggested.

My point was proved when she yawned and nodded into my shoulder. She really was too cute for her own good.

"What are you doing here, Comrade?" asked a curious and sleepy Roza once Jenée was lightly snoring. I shrugged off my jacket and her eyes bugged. "Comrade! There's a baby in the room."

"Yeah, I know. And I never said I had dirty intentions. Now I know what you dream about," I teased while joining her under the covers.

"You took my innocence so don't sound so surprised," she mumbled and snuggled into my chest.

I kissed the top of her head and wrapped my arms around her waist protectively. "Go back to sleep, sweetheart. I love you," I murmured in Russian.

RPOV

Christmas came around far too quickly for my liking but not fast enough for Jen. I gave her a choice of sweaters to wear to Tasha's luncheon and she went for the one Dimitri gave her. _Why! Why'd she have to choose Momma kissing Santa?_ And she wouldn't change her mind about it even a little.

"Papa!" she squealed when she saw Dimitri after we'd stepped in the door to a rec room Tasha had secured in the Academy's guest quarters. All eyes in the room turned to watch her skip up to Dimitri with her two long braids bopping down her back and her left loose to frame her face curly 'bangs' flew backwards. She was in her light lilac purple faux-duck-down jacket and looked like an excited kid on Christmas morning, which is exactly what she was.

"Hey baby girl, Happy Christmas, sweetie." The moment was invaluable and I would remember it forever.

"Happy Christmas, Papa!" She kissed his cheek and bear-hugged him like there was no tomorrow.

To my surprise Mason had been invited and he joined my side with a light laugh. "She's precious, Rose."

I sighed and smiled with happiness burning in my veins. "Yeah. She is."

We shared a friendly hug before Lissa pulled Christian over. "Happy Christmas."

Christian stood by her side awkwardly and I think he was getting to the point of believing I wasn't about to punish him. "Your ass is mine on the slopes, Ozera."

Even Lissa choked on laughter at her boyfriend's expression.

"And don't think I'm going to let you off the hook just because of what you did to Lissa last night."

Christian looked momentarily confused before blushing before turning smug. "Well at least we didn't do the nasty without the safety net."

"That's just _wrong_ for Christmas lunch. And are you forgetting my child happens to be in the room."

"I hadn't forgotten and she happens to be advertising she saw you kiss Santa."

"I didn't buy it and I didn't pick it. Dimitri bought it and she chose to wear it."

It was a day of achievements to shock Christian Ozera. "He didn't! Belikov bought Jenée that top?"

I smirked. "Yes he did."

My eyes found Jen in Dimitri's arms again and both looking at each other with familial love and father/daughter adoration while talking animatedly in Russian. I sighed and shook my head. "That Russian," I cursed playfully under my breath.

Dimitri had cleaned up well. I had only seen him like this once before, in a finely knit black sweater and his usual jeans and boots with his hair sitting in its pony for once. But this time, with Jenée in his arms, I don't think it was humanly possible for him to be any more attractive than he was in this moment, sharing Christmas with our baby.

"Who's starting present time?" Lissa asked a short while later, after we'd all eaten.

"Who's gutsy enough to play Santa?" I teased instead. Dimitri had helped Tasha set up in order to sneak in all her presents. And let me assure you, Santa had been more than generous to my daughter. Admittedly, she more than deserved all the gifts we'd bought her.

"Will you, Mitri?" pouted Jen.

"Yeah Dimitri, will you put on Santa's suit and hand out the presents?" I copied Jen's tone and pout.

Dimitri looked at me like he wanted to teasing call me an insolent girl, his insolent woman. "Fine." To my surprise he played up to his stoic image.

Jen squealed in delight. "Yay! Thanks Papa!" The rest of her babble was in Russian. Mason and Tasha laughed. Christian looked a little off-put. Lissa smiled indulgently. I just shook my head and smiled lovingly at the way my family was bonding.

Dimitri- *cough* Santa *cough*- went searching under the tree. He pretended to choose one of them when I knew we both knew he'd give her a Santa present first.

"To Jenée, from Santa," I read the name tag and let her rip open the wrapping.

"Elsa!" Her delight and excitement was heartwarming and moments like these was exactly why I persevered with my job. Everyone deserved to either be as innocent and happy as her or be a witness to the innocence and carefree happiness of someone so little and be proud that they created that life, the cute little creature that smiled and giggled and laughed so freely.

"Who's next, Santa?" I asked Dimitri while helping Jen open her newest Elsa doll.

"I believe your mother has left something here for you, Rose... ah! Here it is." He smiled and handed over a card.

In it was a glass, blue eye shaped necklace thing.

 _In case I'm held up today, here's a present from me and your father. It's a nazar to keep you safe. Pass it on to Jenée when the time comes. I may not show it, but I do love you. I always have and in always will._

My smile widened and I pushed back my tears when I clipped it on.

"Pretty, Momma," praised Jenée when she caught sight of it.

"It is, Jen. It's from your Nana and Momma will give it to you one day when you're older."

A few more presents were handed out to everyone from various people around the room. Including Lissa giving me the Dragomir chotki, a rosary-type bracelet that was a family heirloom for the favored female Dragomir guardian. Tasha gave me an Asian-style red dress that I was certain would manage some risky clinging action not even that little black dress had pulled off. And of course Santa, Momma, and Papa spoiled Jenée rotten.

Then Dimitri surprised me when he handed over a small box that looked like it would barely contain a necklace. "From me," he smiled.

I'm nearly 220 percent sure I couldn't help my blush. I opened the attached card and blushed for sure. "Because you're my family no matter what," I murmured and set about opening it. "Oh my god. Dimitri!" I gasped softly at the sight of the gold locket. "You didn't?"

He smiled at me and nodded. "I did."

I gently removed the sizeable, heart-shaped locket and opened to find the picture of me holding Jenée after she was first born on one side and a picture of the three of us Alberta had taken after the marking on Monday. Engraved on the back, in Russian, was the only words Dimitri had officially taught me because he and Jen swamped me with the phrase. _I love you._

"Thank you, Comrade. I love it." I hugged him so tightly I swear I could almost have suffocated him.

"I'm glad and you're welcome, Rose." He reluctantly let me step out of reach. "Do you want me to put it on you?"

I nodded while desperately trying to keep the tears of love and joy at bay.

"I think someone's got a teacher crush," sang Lissa.

"Shut it, Liss," I snapped playfully.

The room laughed, even Mason. Jen, however, she giggled knowingly.

"Momma and Papa sittin'-"

" _Jenée Hathaway_ ," Dimitri and I chastised, shocked, while he let the fastened locket drop so the heart hung just between my boobs. "Who taught you that?" I eyed Lissa suspiciously.

Liss threw her hands up innocently. "Not me. So not me. I didn't teach her that _**k-i-s-s-i-n-g**_ rhyme."


	21. Shocking surprises

DPOV

After spending half the afternoon running around after Jen while she learned how to ride her trike I was stuck in Alberta's office trying to convince her to let Jenée have her way and bring it with us on the ski trip.

"It's a _ski_ trip, Belikov." It was abundantly clear she was trying not to laugh at my expense. _I know, I know. I'm whipped. Jenée's got me wrapped around her little pinkie and when she says_ _ **jump**_ _I can't help asking_ _ **how high**_ _._

"I know, but she's _little_ , Alberta. Surely you can't expect her to walk or be carried all over the lodge." I'd seen the layout a million times over. It was too big for a two year old to get from Rose's room to mine, from mine to the dining hall, or from the dining hall to the ski slopes. And knowing Jen, she was likely to want to go everywhere three or four times a day.

"She's a _dhampir_ , Dimitri, she'll be fine. Besides, haven't you been working with her as well as Rose?" _How the hell did she know?_

"Yeah…" I replied hesitantly, not quite asking the question.

"Then she'll survive without the trike. I honestly don't know why you two bought her that thing."

"She's a child and she loves Disney Princesses. How could we not?"

Alberta couldn't hold her guardian composure any longer. She laughed. "You could have gotten her a Little Mermaid coloring book, you didn't have to buy her a trike she'll likely outskill and outgrow by the end of the school year."

"Possibly. And we got her the coloring books too– she's already taking them."

Alberta shook her head in amusement and resignation. "Okay. Take it, just try to get Rose to keep her on the slopes."

 _That'll be easy._ _ **Not.**_

"Mitri!" her sweet little voice called when I stepped on the jet. "Tike, Papa? Papa got tike?"

"It's _tr_ ike, Jen, and yes, it's coming with us." I sat in the free spot next to Rose and Jen crawled onto my lap before I could buckle up. I laughed when she hugged me so tightly anyone else would think she was suffocating me and showered me in thanks and gratitude in English and Russian. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Rose throw her head back into the seat in frustration. I smirked at her. "You know you love it so stop being so dramatic."

She playfully slapped my arm.

"Momma! No hurt Papa!" chastised an innocent Jen. Then _that_ look crossed her face.

" _Jen_ ," I warned, "Momma didn't hurt Papa." She pouted and I began to understand why Rose always wanted Jen in her line of sight. "Jen, don't even think of it."

"But _Papa_!" she whined softly. I hated having to resist those cute brown puppy eyes but it was safest very few knew she could use magic. Especially the healing with spirit.

"No buts, Jenée Hathaway."

She pouted but listened regardless.

Rose sighed, shook her head, and smiled. I knew what she was thinking in this moment: _This is our crazy but loveable family._

Most of the rest of the others on the jet were conversing in groups, but a certain Scottish dhampir mother was watching us with curious eyes. "Go say hi to Nana, Jen," I nodded across the aisle and a row back to where Janine was sitting. It made me delighted to see Janine settling into the role of Jenée's grandmother, but it scared me knowing that I had her wrath to face one day soon and that day crept closer every hour Rose's graduation did, _unbeknownst to Janine._

Jenée nodded and jumped down from my knee to run over to Janine. "Hi Nana!" she cheered.

"Hey Jen," Janine smiled and lifted Jenée up into a hug. "You're getting so strong, baby girl," she laughed and scrunched her face up as if Jen's vice grip hurt.

"Nana! Am not!"

Rose and I smiled while Janine buckled Jen in for take-off.

"She's definitely my girl, isn't she?"

I chuckled at Rose's observation. "Yes, Rose. She's all the best bits of you."

"Hey! She's picked up some of your finest qualities too."

"Is that right?" I deadpanned.

"You're a fool to think otherwise."

Rose's teasing smile was absolutely precious and lit her up in a way that made my heart skip a beat because she was just that heartbreakingly beautiful, the definition of gorgeous. There was _no way_ she could possibly be only seventeen, not with that mature beauty, not with the way she adored and mothered Jenée. That smile, so youthful yet so, so mature, made me fall in love with her all over again, as _if it was even possible for me to be in love her any more deeply than I already was._

Silence surrounded Rose and me, yet it wasn't awkward. Silence had never been and could never be awkward around us. I pulled Louis L'Amour's _'Hondo'_ out of my bag.

"I'm honestly surprised Jen hasn't picked up your Western obsession."

I chuckled. "She's _two_ , Rose. If she picks it up it won't be for a while."

"She's Daddy's little girl," Roza retorted. "I'm pretty sure she's going to pick it up at some point."

I smiled and shook my head. "Don't forget she's also Momma's baby Princess so she may not become obsessed with the Old West."

Rose waggled her eyebrows. _God!_ I just wanted— no, _needed_ — to kiss that look away. "I don't know why you sound so sure."

When we reached the lodge I split from Rose and Jenée— much to Jenée's disappointment. I found myself walking through the elaborately decorated and fitted-out lodge to the guardian wing. We were twinning like the students and most other guests, but our rooms were the least expensive, lowest standard rooms but I knew from analysing layouts with Alberta that our rooms were still excessive by guardian standards. King beds, thick and plush carpet, huge wardrobes, bar fridge, and jacuzzi all included in the budget twin share rooms.

"How do you handle her, Belikov?"

"Who?" I asked Janine.

"Jenée… and Rose. How do you handle them?"

Keeping my mask in place was crucial but extremely difficult. "I really don't know how to explain it." Other than loving them to bits.

"Rose has made a good Mom, for her age and future career. Hasn't she?"

I thought back Rose's heartbreak while recounting Art asking her to hypothetically choose Jen or Lissa. Even just hypothetically, having to choose had destroyed a part of her. She'd told me she'd chosen Lissa, but I knew a part of her knew that if and when the time came she'd either hesitate or she would choose Jenée. I didn't understand how such a dedicate mother could think otherwise. She can delude herself into thinking she's going to always be guardian first, but she won't be. She _isn't_. She's mother first, guardian second. They were at contretemps, but her mother's instinct would win out. There was something special about Jenée that Rose was keeping secret, why Jen's biological father wasn't being disclosed. There was something special about Jen's conception that went beyond Lissa's healing Rose in that crash, but I didn't know _what_.

"Yeah, she has."

Janine sighed and pulled her hand through her short hair. "You really have become Jenée's father, haven't you?" The nervousness in her voice was clear.

I took a moment to carefully phrase my response. "I guess I have, but I assure you, Guardian Hathaway," _sucking up through manners,_ "it's been borne from the situation _not_ a malicious intent to take the dad roll away from Jenée's biological father."

Janine turned thoughtful for a few moments. "Okay then. Jenée loves you to bits and I can't stand the thought of me hurting her by telling you to stop. She deserves such a good father, but I swear Belikov, hurt her and you'll face my wrath _and Rose's_. As for Rose…" _Oh god, here we go!_ "I'm okay with you two being friends— you are both parenting Jenée, when push comes to shove— but don't let either of your hearts too attached to each other." _Too late for that. Four years too late for that warning._ "Remember, Belikov, she's likely to be your guarding partner once she graduates and gets assigned, she's already likely to falter because of Jen, the Princess doesn't need Rose likely to save you over her, too." _Again, four years too late for that cautioning._

"Noted," I agreed anyway.

"One last thing, Belikov," I _didn't like the foreboding note in her voice,_ "just because Rose is a mother and you've stepped into Jen's father's role does _not_ mean you can take advantage of her— she's still underage, after all."

I stepped in front of Janine and turned to look the five-nothing lethal guardian and mother in the eyes. "I wouldn't dare dream of it, Hathaway," I told her honestly and seriously, "I'm not that kind of man and I despise those who are."

Something close to approval shone from Janine's eyes. "You had better be because I'm entrusting you with my daughter's and granddaughter's wellbeing, Belikov and I expect nothing less than the utmost respect shown to both of them."

"I wouldn't give them anything less."

" _Good_. Now we're seeing eye to eye, welcome to this stuffed-up family, Belikov." She offered her hand and I shook it, closing the deal.

I found my room and collapsed on to the bed. Yuri was my roommate and in a bad show of dropping my guardian training I hadn't noticed he was already in the room until he laughed. "What?" I asked.

Yuri laughed again. "I've never seen you act so childish without Jenée around… _Papa_!" he joked.

I groaned despite the smile radiating on my face and from my eyes. "I haven't had a bed this comfy since I was eleven, give me a break."

"I saw Hathaway Senior interrogate you about Jen. I think half the school guardians saw and heard."

I groaned again at the amusement in his voice. Then I sighed. "It wasn't actually as bad as I expected." I'm guessing that was only because she didn't know just how late her warnings were, just how attached to Rose's heart mine already was.

"It sounded pretty serious to me, Dimitri. I don't get how you can say that wasn't that bad."

I sat up and spun to sit on the edge if the bed and face him. "She could've hauled me off to the farthest slopes, attacked me, and left me there to freeze to death."

Yuri's eyes shone with amusement. "I doubt she'd do that, Belikov. She wants Rose to have the level of support you give her. She wants Jenée to have the type of father you are to her."

"I suppose so." _She's still going to do something equally bad to me after graduation._

"You know…" Yuri began mysteriously and mischievously, "I reckon you and Rose would make a cute couple after grad."

I couldn't stop my jaw from dropping. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I mean, you should ignore Janine's warning about getting too attached to Rose. I mean, you've already taken Jen in as your daughter, so I don't see why you shouldn't try dating the mother of your child. I mean, you and Rose already have this… chemistry, a _synchronicity_ between you, one that heightens whenever Jenée comes into the picture. Just think about it, Dimitri."

"Yuri! She's my student. Not to mention she's seven years younger than me and a _minor_!" _Like that's stopped us before._

Yuri chuckled and shook his head. "I did say _after_ grad, Belikov. Even I know that she'll be well over eighteen by then. Seven years isn't that much, at least when you put it into perspective in the guardian world and that she's already a Mom. It would be a huge gap if she was an eighteen year old Moroi or human, but not in the guardian lifestyle. Just think about it, Belikov, there's already a number of markers that you two would be good in a relationship just from the way you two co-parent Jenée."

I sighed then laughed. "I _really_ _**don't**_ believe I'm hearing this, Yuri."

A knock on the door and voices on the other side interrupted the silence that had fallen.

"Jen, he mightn't be in there. He will have to work, baby."

"But he _is_ , Momma! I can _feel_ he's in there!" Jen whined in _the_ voice, the one no one could resist.

Smiling, I opened the door to prove Jen right. "Hey Jen, hey Rose."

"Tol' you, Momma!" squealed Jen while she grinned Rose's grin and jumped up in a demand to be picked up and hugged. "Hey, Papa!"

"In English please, Jenée Hathaway."

"Said so, Momma!"

"Are you two coming in or is it pointless because Princess cutie here wants to go somewhere?"

Rose smiled her man-eater smile. "I don't get why, but she wants us to watch her first ski lesson."

I sent Jen a questioning look.

" _Please Papa?_ " she begged while batting her puppy-eyes.

I caved. _How could I say no to that face?_ She had me wrapped around her littlest finger. "I'd be honored and delighted."

"Dimitri! Stop speaking in Russian with her when I'm here. Are you coming to watch with me?" Her brown eyes pleaded with me to come, to keep her company for the two hour lesson.

"Just go, Belikov," Yuri encouraged from behind me.

At the sound of his voice Jen's eyes lit up. Yuri, like Emil, was one guardian Jen got along well with. "Yu-Yu!" she laughed. "Over, Papa! Over to Yu-Yu!"

Yuri took her from my arms and she bear-hugged him like she bear-hugged me. I caught Rose's eyes with my own and that something warm and wonderful flowed between us. We looked back to Jen with love and adoration. _**Our**_ _baby._ Shared genetics or no, she was our baby… and she'd grown so, so, so incredibly much over the past few months, shooting up in height and rapidly developing and expanding two vocabularies, increasing in confidence and self-awareness. We couldn't ask for a better two year old to grace this earth, let alone be ours.

While we watched her learning to ski we smiled and laughed and our hearts swelled with love because she was just that _cute_. She fell a few times, tumbled to the end of the baby courses a couple of times, and she picked it up as if she'd been born doing it at other times. By the end of the lesson I swear she was getting overconfident because she got told of _four times_ for showing off and attempting moves she wasn't ready for. She was Rose all over again and just as talented, just as gifted, just as quick at learning any new skill.

"She's growing up too quickly, Dimitri," complained Rose.

I chuckled and nudged her playfully. "You're being possessive and overprotective again."

"I am not!" Rose defended before Jen sprinted over and threw herself into her mother's arms. "Hey baby. Great work out there. Now, do you want to go inside and have a warm bath?"

"No! Wanna see Momma, Aunty Lissa, Chrissie and Masie ski!"

I laughed when Rose sighed in resignation, then again when she shot me a _'shut up'_ look. _If only, if only I could kiss that look away into her lovesick one._ Now _**so**_ was _**not**_ the time for those thoughts.

The other three emerged, handed Rose a pair of skis, and exchanged greetings with my little family. Together, the four made their way to the top of the slopes. Lissa and Christian stuck mainly to the easy runs but Mason and Rose took on the harder courses. Jen stayed on my knee and watched her mother and he mother's friends in awe and amusement. As far as I was concerned, Rose and Mason were already recklessly trying to out-do each other and was scared Rose would hurt herself. I knew it was nothing compared to how hard I worked her in training but this was something completely different in my books. Besides, she had Jen watching. Then again, even without Rose's influence Jen had been pulling off just as dangerous stunts.

"You guys are suicidal," remarked Christian when he and Lissa started to tire. They'd just watched Rose and Mason race down the hill at speeds they shouldn't have been able to reach. Mason grinned and Rose laughed while they skidded to a halt and sent snow spraying Jen and me. Jen giggled then wiped the white stuff off her face then snuggled into my chest, starting to cool down and yawn.

"Nah, this is warm-up, kids stuff."

Rose rolled her eyes. "No it's not. Jen did more dangerous runs at the end of her class."

Christian snorted. "What'd you expect? She's _your_ child."

"Watch it, Ozera, I still haven't punished you for that fire stunt you pulled in front of Jen."

After shivering, Jen rubbed her hands and a little flame swirled from and around them.

"And _that's_ exactly why I told you not to!" Rose pointed over at where Jen was nearly asleep on my knee and trying to warm herself.

"Jenée Luca Hathaway, put the fire out," I chastised in her ear.

"But I cold, Papa!"

" _Put. It. Out._ Or Momma and Papa will send Santa's presents back."

The fire disappeared while Rose agreed to spending more time on the slopes with Mason.

Lissa and Christian came over and Lissa bent down to kiss Jen's cheek. "Do you want to come in with Aunty Liss and Chrissie to see Ed-Ed, or stay with Mitri and watch Momma and Masie for a little bit longer?"

"Momma and Papa," she mumbled sleepily.

When Mason and Rose reached the top of the hill, he pointed out a course I couldn't quite follow but it seemed like the most dangerous one yet. Rose hesitated. _Atta girl._ _For once you're thinking before jumping in head first just because he challenges you._ Just as pride swelled within me, dread quashed it when she nodded her agreement and leapt off. She hit a certain set of moguls, jumped over a ridge, then made a hairpin turn at insane speeds, dodged a cluster of trees that were growing close together, then finally landed. She'd pulled the potentially-lethal course off flawlessly with snow flowing up around her. My heart could finally calm down, but I couldn't deny, as scared for her life as I had been she had looked insanely beautiful and invulnerable. Rose made her way to us, signalling she was calling it quits. Mason made his way down, though his skis caught half way down and he tumbled to the bottom of the hill.

As if sensing his pain and before one of the instructors could get to him, Jenée was by Mason's ankle and her face scrunched up in concentration before relaxing blissfully. Rose's face shone with horror when we realised she'd just healed Mason in front of a number of people. Rose and I raced over to Jen and she scooped our baby up and I lifted Mason to his feet.

"What were you kids thinking?" the instructor screeched at Rose and Mason. "What were _you_ thinking, you're a _guardian_ , you should have stopped them!"

I took a steadying breath. "I wouldn't have made it up to them in time."

She nodded before turning back to Rose and gesturing me to bring Mason inside to check for injuries. _Not like they were going to find any._

RPOV

"What did she do?" Mase asked in shock when we were relatively alone.

"She healed you," I whispered, readjusting a sleeping Jenée in my arms. "Like Lissa can do off the med's."

Mason's eyes popped and his jaw dropped. "But she's a dhampir?"

"She's the child of a shadow-kissed dhampir," I shrugged. "She's special, she's always been special."

"Wow. Well, I owe her a big thank you."

"Don't you dare. It'll only encourage her and I can't have anyone else knowing— _she_ can't! Not only will it likely elicit teasing and bullying, we don't know what cost her 'talents' come at."

Mason and I parted ways. After putting our stuff back in the storage shed, I went back inside through the back stairs and porch that overlooked the beautiful mountains, the ones closest to the room Jen and I shared with Liss. A voice spoke while I stomped snow of my boots by using the stairs. The surrounding air was thickly scented with something spicy and sweet.

"Hey, little dhampir, baby dhampir."

A Moroi male leaned against the wall, near the door. He rose the cigarette to his mouth.

"Put that thing out before I make you," I growled before he could take another drag of it.

Startled, he dropped it then stamped it out while smiling a smile that would, to any single female, be a fatal womanizing one. It didn't amuse me in the slightest, let alone touch the surface of being attractive. The scent, I realized, was clove cigarettes.

I took a wary step forward and adjusted Jen so she was wrapping her legs around my waist and her head used my shoulder like a pillow. I almost sighed. I would miss these moments where she clung to me. There was no denying she was a part of me, made to fit in my arms and on my hip as she grew up. In no reality could it be denied that she was my baby, that she was always _meant_ to be my baby.

His eyes were blue or green, his hair was what he likely spent hours on creating the so-called stylishly messy do, and his leather dress shoes and cashmere-wool blend coat made him appear to have just come from a dinner party with those who had money… lots and lots of it. He also appeared to be shorter than Dimitri and younger than him too, only a couple of years older than me.

"Yeah?" I asked, keen to get Jen out of the cold before she started using magic in her sleep to warm herself.

I was used to being the Moroi male attention my body attracted, but I wasn't used to it be so blatantly obvious. Especially considering my winter clothes hid everything. Then he took in Jenée, though not in the same way. He seemed… intrigued by her.

"Just saying hi," he shrugged and returned his hands to his coat pockets.

I shrugged and took another couple steps towards the door. If he had nothing useful to say then I was going to go give Jen a bath, have a shower of my own, and put us both to bed for the night. My plans were stalled again when the boy suddenly spoke once more.

"You smell good."

"I… wait, I _what_?"

"Smell good. You. You smell good."

"You've got to be joking. I've been sweating all day— I smell and feel disgusting." It was an off thing, talking to this Moroi boy. I didn't want to hang around— especially with Jen to look after— but I couldn't help responding when he spoke. It was thoroughly frustrating. In no way was he attractive to me, but he just had that damn charisma that kept you enthralled, that kept you responding to a person even if you wanted to shoot them.

"Sweat isn't a bad thing." _Would he just shut up already?_ He had relaxed into the wall and looked to the sky as if trying to express his next grand idea. _Lord help me, get me outta here!_ "Some of the best things in life happen while sweating." _He was a playboy._ He had to be a playboy. And likely a royal one at that.

"Yeah, I know," I retorted, "I created the best thing in my life while sweating. I delivered the best thing in my life while sweating." I pointedly smiled down at Jen. "I wouldn't change it for the world."

His face was pricelessly amusing. His shock and slight disgust were plain as a human day. Oh boy, it took all I had not to laugh. "Thanks for that…"

"Rose. And you're welcome…"

"Ivashkov," _no wonder he screamed money and arrogance,_ "Adrian Ivashkov. Nice to meet you, Rose." He extended a gloved hand. I indicated to switch hands because I wasn't about to shift Jen to my other side just to shake a womanizing Moroi's hand. I stepped closer and shook the swapped hand, detecting the smell of alcohol on him. _Yup. Arrogant Royal Moroi playboy_. "You going to be a mother or guardian when you grow up?"

"Both." _And hopefully I can do a good job at balancing them._

His eyes widened in surprise. "How?"

"Not sure, but I'll make it work."

"How long until you grow up?" He reached for another cigarette and I narrowed my eyes warningly.

"Don't even think about it, Ivashkov."

After a twitch of his hand he sighed and followed instructions. "So, when do you grow up? Just incase I need a guardian."

I rolled my eyes. "I graduate in spring. But I'm already spoken for."

"By her father, I bet."

I shook my head. "Nope. By her Aunt, Vasilisa Dragomir."

" _Hathaway_? You're _the_ Rose Hathaway?" he asked incredulously, surprised.

"Yup. Something wrong with that?" I smirked.

He shook his head. "It's just, with her in your arms you don't look like trouble or danger."

I grinned mischievously. "And that makes me all the more dangerous, doesn't it?"

"Very possibly… I'm sure her father thinks that… That's if you're with him, of course. You could get to know me if you're not."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, her father does think I'm more dangerous because I look harmless with her in my arms. And as for getting to know you? Yeah… no thanks. Not into older guys, 'sides, I'm taken."

He put his hand over his heart and gaped. "I'm wounded, little dhampir."

"Your _ego_ is what's wounded," I corrected. "You're too prideful and arrogant." _Why was I still here?_ I had a child to get out of the cold. Yet here I still was, trying to reason with him and shut him up, to rid him of the chip on his shoulder.

The sound of approaching footsteps prompted me to turn. Immediately, I saw Mia ascending the stairs.

"Are you sure you want to be guardian? Looks like you're begging to be a blood whore."

"And that's my cue to put Jenée to bed. I don't have to put up with a bitchy, narcissistic, self-disrespecting barbie psycho-angel baby."

Adrian made the sound of fighting cats.

"If you were a real parent you wouldn't insult—"

"You're not my child, and I think you're out after curfew." I spun on my heel, but Mia stalked through the door before I could.

"That's a turn on," he said cockily.

"Don't get your hopes up," I warned and pulled open the door, "like I said: I'm taken and not into older men."

"Sure you're not," he called softly but still presumptuously while the door closed after me.

DPOV

Despite being hurt by my second refusal to be her guardian and lover and baby-daddy, Tasha still invited me to her _**'training'**_ with Christian. I would've loved to remain blissfully selectively ignorant of the situation. That wasn't an option when I knew Lissa would follow her boyfriend over to his Aunt's room, and because of that Rose would follow… and naturally Jen would be in tow. So, as much as I would have loved to pick up another shift I decided I should make my way over to Tasha's room because someone other than Rose would have to keep Jen under control. Jen and fire magic was a recipe for disaster.

"Hey Dimka," Tasha smiled when she opened the door. "I was scared you weren't going to come."

"Papa!" Jen cried cutely when she spotted me from inside the room and ran over to me.

The smile only she could elicited made it's way onto my face without instruction and ignored the request to hide. "Hey sweetie." I scooped her up into my arms and met Rose's smiling eyes when I carried Jen back into the room. "Hey Momma."

Rose shook her head and laughed. "Morning Papa," she returned playfully.

"Hey Christian, Lissa," I greeted. Lissa was sitting next to Rose on the sofa. Meanwhile, Christian stood in front of the unlit fireplace, surrounded by rearranged furniture.

"Dimitri," Lissa returned with an indulgent smile when her eyes flicked between me and Jen.

"Belikov."

Lissa stood from the sofa and gestured for me to sit next to Rose.

"Lissa…" I declined awkwardly.

"No buts, Guardian Belikov. There's the sofa right there that'll be just as good for me." She nodded to the sofa directly opposite.

"Okay… thanks, Lissa." I sat next to Rose and Jen laid across both our laps, with her feet in her mother's. She had shot up and was now tall enough to do this comfortably. Jen now stood at her mother's hip and about six inches below mine. She was going to be tall, at least while a little, little one.

"So why can't I just stick to the consuming spell?" Christian asked Tasha.

"Has Jen…" I asked Rose quietly, nearly inaudibly.

Rose frowned. "At least twice her hands have lit up. Watch her face, she's studying them, scrutinising every movement and absorbing it. Dimitri… she's not even two and a half! What are we going to do? She wore herself out with Mase yesterday, and yet here she is this morning, literally playing with fire."

I ran a hand through my baby's curls. "If we can't stop her then we just have to do our best to make sure she learns how to control it and when she uses it."

Rose sighed and leaned her head against my shoulder. My other hand ran itself through Rose's curls. "It's all we can do, I guess."

"We'll get through this is."

I carefully studied Jen's face while Tasha flicked her wrist out, sending a jet of fire past Christian. Rose was right, Jen was absorbing what Tasha was teaching Christian. Christian mimicked Tasha's move and Jen pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes in concentration when Christian's flame almost hit her face. He had lacked her control, but she had deflected it, causing it to split and dissolve around her.

"That wasn't bad, that's if you count me needing to deflect you as a part of 'not bad'."

Jen focused on Tasha and before anyone could stop her she too had mimicked Tasha's wrist flick, sending the fire off to Tasha's right then she snaked it around Tasha's head and absorbed it back into her fist.

We all stared at her in shock.

Tasha broke the silence. "How old is she, Rose?"

"Twenty-nine months."

Tasha laughed gently. "You could learn a thing or two, Christian."

"She shouldn't be touching the magic, should you, Jenée Luca Hathaway?" Rose chastised.

"Huh, Momma?" asked a lost-looking and cute Jenée.

"No more magic."

"But Momma! Magic fun! Chrissie do magic."

Rose narrowed her eyes at our daughter. "Chrissie shouldn't be doing magic."

"Papa! Tell Momma magic good." Jen pouted and pleaded in Russian.

"Magic is dangerous, Jen." I turned to face Rose, "Why don't we take her out, huh? Sledding or on the snowmobile?"

"Or we could take her tubing?"

The other three laughed, though Tasha's did sound a little choked.

"You two sound like parents," Lissa laughed.

"We are," we sang in unison.

"Momma! Papa! What tubbing?"

"Tubing, baby girl; we could take you out on the slopes to show you," I offered.

"Please Papa?" She pulled those puppy-eyes on me again.

"As long as Momma comes too?" I looked at Rose with a _'You're not getting out of this'_ expression. She had suggested it in the first place.

We only got just over an hour together on the slopes, but Rose and Jen stayed while I went to my shift. I had a six-hour ward shift. _Talk about the definition of boring._ At least I got to walk the whole shift. We were all given 100-foot stretches to check. Normally, it would be at least three-quarters of a mile to a mile, but with recent events, the location and the sheer number of Moroi within this venue's wards our stretches were reduced significantly. We needed more man power out here if the wards were to be broken and breached.

I had another shift to 'clock-on' for an hour after dinner. This time, it was hallway-monitoring for four hours. _Lovely_. I had to be a shadow for four hours. The longer I was with Rose and fathering Jenée the more I came to hate shifts such as these. Well, to be quite frank, the longer Rose and I reared Jen together the more appealing deserting became. I wanted to take my family and run. I wanted to hide Jenée from judging eyes. I wanted Rose to never have to sacrifice her life for another. I wanted us to be less appealing targets to the Strigoi. But that wasn't going to happen, not when Rose was so determined to guard Lissa. Though, I knew for sure that there was a traitorous part of her that desired the same thing I did, a part of her that craved freedom from the Moroi's binds, freedom from their ignorance and self-centeredness. I knew without a doubt that a part of her desired to take me and Jen and run, to be a family that moved forward and never looked back. But Rose's bond with Lissa stopped that from _ever_ being achievable.

When my shift was over, I 'clocked-off' to find Janine's makeshift HQ in panic. "Just who we need," muttered Janine while pouring over faxes, texts, and emails that were flooding in and the ringtones of were quickly driving me insane. "Belikov, get Rose– _**just**_ _Rose_. Leave Jen with the Princess. We need you and Rose to fill us in on similarities with what you two went through in the Badica attack."

"Of course, Hathaway."

The last thing I wanted to do was wake Rose to make her relive that attack. But I did as told and retrieved Rose.

"Dimitri!" Rose quietly exclaimed in shock when she opened the door after I knocked.

"Get changed. Quickly. Leave Jen with Lissa. You're needed in your mother's room."

"Another?" she asked meaningfully, already having pulled the real request from me by my eyes and serious expression.

"Yes."

Rose disappeared inside her room.


	22. Repercussions Part 1

RPOV

It was incredibly difficult to leave Jenée with Lissa to analyse data about this second attack. One look at Dimitri while we walked into my mother's room told me all I needed to know. I wasn't the only one struggling to walk away from Jenée when she needed us most. Mom's room had been converted into a makeshift headquarters and numerous guardians were discussing strategy and collecting facts. My mother looked up and met my eyes when Dimitri and I entered, pausing her current conversation to start another one. With me. Well, me and Dimitri, but the stress of being thrown into and relied upon in a situation such as this one was just the same.

"Eight Moroi and five guardians are dead," Yuri said gravely but briskly.

"Three missing Moroi," added Mom. Dimitri handed me the clipboard that indicated this was a Drozdovs belated Christmas party in northern California. Two States away. By the time I was allowed out of here Moroi families would be fleeing. Royals especially. For many, two states was two countries too close.

I gulped. "The wards? Any sign of human involvement again?" I asked, my tone surprisingly akin to my mother's. Maybe I could stay more composed than I believed I could.

In a rare show of hesitation regarding anything guardian related Mom paused. She looked me dead in the eye and allowed me to see her fear for not only the lives of everyone in this lodge but also for Jenée's life and mine. "Yes. More broken wards."

I did my best not to let the fear in me show, or the anger. "And more Strigoi. There had to have been more Strigoi."

"More!" exclaimed one of the visiting guardians. "I still can't believe that first group of seven occurred. You expect me to believe they organized in a larger group still?"

"Yes," Mom and I snapped. "Rose, can you find the same patterns here that Petrov and I have?"

Mom handed me a clipboard that had a different range of facts to the one Dimitri had handed me. The focus on the kids. The message in blood. The mass grouping of strigoi going after a mass grouping of Moroi- royals, at that. The way they entered. All too similar. Dimitri and I had discussed how the guardians were postulating the possibility of another freak mass attack and how to respond. How We would respond with regards to protecting our baby girl. None of us had ever considered serial killings. It was too identical. And something about the kids being targeted was worrying me. There was a message. I didn't know what or why, but somehow they had gotten organized enough to be sending a message not just about the royals but the babies too. Only this message about the kids was being conveyed by the killings, not the words left in blood.

"Rose?" Dimitri prompted softly. "Is there similarities?"

I nodded silently, shocked. "Yes. Yes, and they've definitely upscaled it after being taken by surprise by our presence at the Badica's."

"Nine? Possibly ten?" asked Mom.

"At least," I agreed with a heavy heart. I _never_ wanted Jen in this business. And I mean _**never**_. My eyes met Dimitri's. We wanted Jenée out of here.

We wanted to take Jenée and flee. But we couldn't. Not in the middle of this crisis. Maybe at the end of the year, when we were going to take Jen to Russia anyway. But for now, the only way we could truly protect her was by protecting those around her, by protecting the Moroi in this lodge and this part of the country.

We were as panicked as a number of the guardians around us, as panicked as my mother. I tried to emulate her control and composure, I tried to be the leader Dimitri believed I could be, the leader my mother was looking to to help her. I would be that leader, even if it killed me. For Jen, Dimitri, Mom, and Lissa, I would be that leader.

"First Badicas, now Drozdovs, they're going after royals," muttered another guardian I didn't recognise.

"They're going after Moroi," Dimitri returned in a voice that no one would dare argue with. It was flat, but it held immense power. "Royal. Non-royal. It doesn't matter."

I knew it hurt Dimitri to say those words, because I knew he too was seeing the threats again. I knew it hurt him to say it didn't matter what clas of Moroi they were going after because I knew he was sensing the deeper message, the unspoken threat to the children in those families. The threat to all the children. The threat that made our parental instincts regarding Jenée flare. Panic consumed me at the though of Jen being a targeted child and I searched the room with my eyes to find Dimitri's. He was standing beside me still.

"Jen?" I murmured in a surprisingly pleading tone. "What if Jen's next?"

Dimitri's warm brown eyes burned me with their love and support. "I won't let them get anywhere near anyone around her. They're after Moroi, not dhampir, she's going to be fine."

"She's not dhampir either," I muttered. She wasn't Moroi, wasn't human, wasn't dhampir, and wasn't Strigoi. She was Jenée Luca Hathaway and she was my one-of-a-kind little baby.

"She isn't Moroi, Roza, and that's all that matters for now." He quickly squeezed my shoulders and subtly caressed my upper arms in a calming manner. His warmth and support enveloped me and gave me the strength I needed to continue through this meeting.

When the rate of new evidence finding its way to us slowed the group started to break up and a familiar heartbeat made its presence in the room audible. Jenée. My eyes found her on the small sofa, barely stirring. _Where was Lissa?_ I checked the bond. She was with Christian and Tasha.

 _'I thought she'd be safest with you and away from the temptation of lighting Christian and Tasha up.'_ It was a mental voice-message more or less; she still couldn't feel me when I used the bond. I knew she knew about the attack and had stayed for a bit after dropping Jen off. She hadn't let me sense her or Jen being there through creating a mental block by imagining what she would be seeing with Christian and Tasha when she got to that room.

DPOV

Much to my disappointment, Rose took Jen with her when she left her mom's room turned makeshift HQ. I feared for Jen's safety and well being as much as Rose did. Now more than ever I wished to take my family and run. But nowhere would be safe unless we stayed and rode out this new wave of attacks, came to understand this new way of attacking.

Later on, I found my way into the makeshift Council meeting rage was being held in a re-arranged, temporarily repurposed banquet hall. So far, most of the guardians had spent the day gathering and analysing the data these Moroi didn't know. Most of the guardians had spent the day so far reacting to the threat with actions- at least regarding the safety of this lodge. Not an easy task to do and the Moroi- novices too, really- seem to believe its as easy as snapping your fingers. That's likely because they have guardians that jump at their command. Their opponents that were killing them could be dead within seconds if the Moroi learned how to maim and kill with a flick of their wrists, like Christian and Tasha. Like Jenée had picked up so amazingly effortlessly.

When I walked in, I found the royals had invoked the class order, if unknowingly and out of habit. The families sat up the front, the dhampir sat toward the very back, the guardians stood around the room, and the non-royal Moroi sat wherever the could find a spot. This formation, this conditioning of our society had long-since irritated me, but tonight it Infuriated me. No decisions could be made here, and in the meantime, Rose and I were again sacrificing our love and family for a bunch of people who only talked about changing Their protection because They're the most important. Well, _Newsflash_ , they _aren't_. The most important people in this world were the one who live and die for the ungrateful and ignorant people they protect. Only three royals up the front of the room I truly believed would fight for fair changes. And even then my own charge was iffy because of the sacrifices Rose made for her, because of the bond making Rose feel even more powerless than she already was.

Rose sat next to puppy-eyes Ashford with Jen on her knee. They were in one of the last few rows of seats. I sat next to Rose and Jen immediately crawled onto my lap and bear-hugged me.

"Miss you, Papa."

"Papa missed you too, Jen. I love you, baby girl," I murmured in Russian. I clung to her as if she would disappear in half a heartbeat. I couldn't lose my girls. I couldn't lose Jenée. I couldn't lose Rose. And I couldn't ever leave them. I wouldn't. I didn't want to sit next to Rose with our baby in my arms and listen to this heap of shite the royals were spewing. I wanted to be in a car with Rose in shotgun and Jen in a booster seat while we sped away from this life, forever leaving this world of supernatural drama behind.

"Most of us don't pool our resources- guardians, magic. If we could emulate this model..."

"The Strigoi would still breach the wards and then the fatality rate'd be higher," Rose muttered angrily, "much, _much_ higher."

Then one of the Szelesky women stood. "The answer is simple. We need more guardians." An ominous feeling spread over me and I noticed Rose also tense when the advocate's gaze trained on us. On my family. _She wouldn't! Would she?_

"Where do you suggest we source more guardians from?" mocked the first speaker. Like his commune ideas were any better.

She pointed towards the surrounding novices then focused in on my family. _No!_ This was a recipe for disaster.

I murmured urgently in Jen's ear, "No magic, Jen. No matter how mad Momma and Papa are, _No. Magic._ "

"I've watched them train. They're deadly. _SHE'S_ deadly." The Szlesky woman pointed at Rose. "She's a Senior, a mother, and a highly lethal guardian. Focus on combat training more than bookwork and we'd have new guardians by the time they're sixteen. Not to mention, why aren't more dhampir girls and women like her? Training or guarding and continuing to ensure another generation of guardians exist. The Moroi already doing their part."

"Not my family, you bitch!" growled Roza as she sat in more of a protective crouch in front of me and our daughter. As it was, my grasp on Jen had tightened, but not to the point it was hurting her. I'd never forgive myself for hurting my baby.

Tasha laughed at the Szelesky woman. Like always, she was the most laid-back and casual royal around. She stood. She was showing off her scars. She looked bold and defiant. Before I met Rose, I would have said she looked beautiful. But she didn't measure up to Roza. I'd seen Roza fight, I'd seen Roza _**kill**_. Nothing could compare to the avenging angel that went by the name of Rose Hathaway. You didn't know beauty until you'd seen Rose battle Strigoi and win.

"Those girls and woman aren't like Rose, Monica, because they're little more than children themselves. You know, the ones you to train to kill before they can speak. I don't know how it works in your family, but for most of us sex is fun..." Tasha's gaze found me protecting my family. Hurt flashed in her eyes before resolve relit the fire that was already too aflame within her. "The dhampir women aren't the only ones who can help the dhampir race reproduce. The guardians aren't the only army here. And one little girl here is the prime example of how lethal guardians and Moroi could be if guardian and charge pooled their skills and fought the Strigoi Before they came."

Rose and I looked at our baby girl frantically. " _ **No, Jenée!**_ "

Tasha smiled her fang-included smile and Jen's hands lit up while her she wore her own defiant and blissful grin.

Tasha took advantage of the shocked silence. "The question is, Monica: _Where are we?_ " Tasha gestured for Jen to throw the magic to her. With what called only be called practiced-precision, Jen threw the fire to Tasha, Tasha caught it then lit up the first speaker's jacket.

The room gasped in unison... then chaos exploded like the proverbial bomb Tasha had purposely planted.

People stood and shouting occurred. Nearly unanimously they all decided Tasha was wrong. That Jenée had been a pawn in Tasha's larger game plan, a piece she'd planted, that she was subjecting her friend's student's baby in the hope of expediting the extinction of both races. But there were a few who looked our way and when they looked at Jenée, they wore an expression that told us she was their latest testing subject.

"We _need_ to get out of here, soon at that," hissed Roza. "We _need_ to take Jen away."

I nodded. "This won't blow over with us here," I agreed. Rose and I stood, Jenée perched herself on my hip. I looked my eyes with Roza's.

We nodded. "Now or never," we said in unison. That was all I needed to know before we grabbed hands and made our way out of the hall.


	23. Repercussions Part 2

RPOV

We stepped into the corridor and I felt like a ticking time bomb. And by the looks in Dimitri's eyes, so did he. We'd both been played. But worst of all, was that _Jen_ had been manipulated and used. It was in both our eyes: _we had to get out of here, not just for Jen's sake, but for our own as well_. I know I'd told Art that if Strigoi came I would force myself to protect my Moroi. But now the Moroi were endangering and manipulating my family, I couldn't put the Moroi first. I had to protect Jenée and Dimitri from the Moroi. _They came first: my baby and my partner. How could they not?_

"How are we doing this, Dimitri?" I silently pleaded. We had to be out by the end of today. We had to be gone by breakfast. And no one could latch on... except for _maybe_ Mom...

Dimitri looked between me and Jen and the surrounding corridors. We had been heading toward my room but Dimitri tugged us in a different direction. He was heading towards Mom's room.

"Dimitri!" I squeaked in protest.

"We need their permission."

I scowled. "That defeats the purpose."

"They'd do a lot of things for Jen. I'd do a lot of things for you. Do you trust me, Roza?"

"With Jenée's life," I answered honestly. _Where was he going with this?_ On Dimitri's hip was a shocked and silent Jen. She was letting us, her parents, handle the fallout. Sometimes she really was like her father and it made me all the more determined to hide her away.

"Then trust me now. The proper channels are the way to go."

"Rose, Belikov," Mom greeted distractedly. Then she noticed Jen and her face lit up. "Hey Jen."

"Nana!" Jen squealed and squirmed in Dimitri's hold.

Mom nodded to Dimitri and he released our baby. Jen ran into Mom's waiting arms. The surrounding guardians halted what they were doing and watched Mom and Jen in awe.

I don't think Mom was ever this melted with me- _and_ _ **I**_ _was her_ _ **daughter**_. But it made me love her a little to see her forget her duties for _my_ baby. _How could I rip Jen away from her starting-to-change-her-ways grandmother?_ My eyes met Dimitri's. He didn't have the sudden moment of doubt that I had just experienced. His expression told me that all would be well, as long as we got out of here. It reminded me of why we'd come to see her and Alberta in the first place.

"Mom, we need to speak to you- about Jenée."

"Petrov, you too, if you could spare a minute."

At our words every face in the room turned and all eyes fell on us. Mom and Alberta studied us for a few moments before both nodding. They followed us outside. Jenée came and stood at my side, she clung to my leg. I ran a hand through her hair and Dimitri blurted out why we were here, what we wanted and needed.

"We need to get Jenée out of here before she becomes a test subject and political pawn."

Understanding shone in Alberta's eyes. "The meeting? Who?"

A pained look crossed Dimitri's face before a look of betrayal did. His mask returned. "Tasha. Jen's strong, Alberta. Too strong."

"Strong at what?" Mom asked me.

"Jen," I sighed. "Show Nana what you did to Chrissie this morning."

Jen reluctantly nodded against my hip then stepped away and lit up her hands. She sent a lick of flame curling around Mom's head before absorbing it again.

Mom gasped from the heat of it. "What did you want from me about getting Jenée into hiding?" she asked Dimitri.

Dimitri's eyes asked me if I was sure about this. I smiled tightly. I was sure. It sure as hell hurt, but I was sure about fleeing with Jen. We had a daughter to protect. _Flesh and blood, heart and soul._ Jenée had to come first this time. I wouldn't have Jenée out of sight for even half a moment. I would always know what was happening with Lissa anyway. I wouldn't let the bond dictate my loyalties and priorities this time.

Dimitri faced my Mom and squared his shoulders while Jenée barrelled into his embrace. "We need you to sign off on the dropout forms."

Mom's eyes burned holes into me. "I thought you'd agreed-"

" _Mom_ ," I cried, " _please!_ You know I'll go anyway. We won't get hunted if you do this. You can come visit, but please, just this once, help me protect my only daughter the only way I know how."

Mom and Alberta studied my family for a moment. "And where do you come in, Belikov?" asked Alberta.

Dimitri looked between me and our daughter with affectionate yet fiercely protective eyes. "I'm their ticket out of here. Where they go, I follow."

"Look after them, Belikov. And don't forget our conversation from yesterday." Dimitri paled a little at Mom's words. I felt as lost as Alberta looked.

"I'll help you escape, on the proviso, you chase down any nearby lead that crops up in the next twelve to eighteen hours. Both of you." Alberta knew how to drive a hard bargain. Mom's stony expression and sharp nod indicated it was the best offer we were going to get. Their narrowed eyes and pursed lips informed us we were lucky to be allowed to flee society and desert our duty, abandon our charge _at all_ in the mayhem we were surrounded in. Yet the nearly imperceptible twinkle in their eyes also told us they understood it was best for us to leave now before order was restored.

We nodded. _Best take what we can get while we can get anything at all._

Jenée followed me back to my room while Dimitri went to the last couple of shifts he was to pick up. When we were inside the room I shared with Jen and Liss, I sat Jen on Lissa's bed before hurriedly packing just her stuff and mine. It felt odd not swooping up Lissa's stuff too, but it also felt like a million tonne weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Jenée rattled off questions in Russian as I flew around the room and sorted our stuff out.

I soon found a note in the bathroom from Lissa. She'd left out a set of swimsuits for both me and Jenée and the note sat on top.

 _Adrian's invited the group to go swimming. I'll come get you by 4. Be sure to wear these and bring a towel._

I groaned. I didn't have time for this! Then again, I was mostly packed and I could do with some quality time with the friends I grew up with before I left this life behind for good. And I supposed I can take the risk with taking Jen. I mean, Lissa's okay with exposing Jen to Adrian completely, isn't she? So why should I worry? I mean, he's likely to ditch the group anyway, isn't he?

Lissa retrieved us at 3:45. Her excitement burned through the bond. Just as intense feelings showed on Adrian's lazy-smirk-covered face.

"Come on then."

Jen walked beside us as Lissa and Adrian led us to wherever it was he wanted to take us. The rest of the group was already there apparently, according to Lissa's mental note as we descended a spiral staircase that started with painted walls and continued to carved stone the farther down we went. Our destination was a spa filled with about thirty of Adrian's friends, all of them emanated a sense of wealth and elitism. Adrian and Lissa led us around and between the series of hot spring pools in the royally-outfitted, designer cave-like spa. Jen looked overawed and excited to go swimming in such an over-decorated location.

"Mi-Mi?" Jen nodded towards Mia when she spotted Mia cuddling up to Mason. Maybe if he'd get over his ridiculous crush and she became a decent sentient being, they might actually look good together, be good for each other. I smiled when Mia greeted Jen with a genuinely warm smile. A sadness and grief still radiated about her, but the sight of my innocent daughter distracted her. The group welcomed us with open arms and happy grins. Adrian left us, supposedly 'for the time being', but I knew he'd be back. He _always_ came back for some odd reason that didn't leave me with the best feelings regarding his intentions.

I tested the heat of the water before allowing Jen to go near it. 'Hot' was the coolest way to describe it. Once I was adjusted to the scalding temperature I let Jen ease herself in, inch by inch.

"Such a good mother," sighed Lissa while cuddling back up with Christian on a shelf in the pool.

I smirked. Jen was wearing the floaties Lissa had forgotten Jen would need. She was a good aunt most of the time, but she had her moments where she completely ignored or forgot the mature roll she played in Jen's life and was just the regular teenage Moroi Dragomir Princess once more, leaving me to be the consistent role-model. _Yeah, fair. Really fair._ It sucked being friends with her sometimes. Like right now, as much as I was enjoying this get together, I couldn't enjoy it as freely as the others. All because I had a child to look after. I wouldn't change Jenée for anything though. If I had to choose between being a teen and being Jen's Mom, I'd pick being Jen's Mom a million and one times over for forever and a day. It was much more rewarding seeing her grow and develop, learn and play, revel in the innocence of her dreams than it was to party it up before being sent out to slaughter like pigs or cows. I'd pick having her as my child over clinging to the end of my own childhood that was stolen in that horrible car crash.

"What are you talking about?" I interrupted once I was certain Jenée was comfortable and having fun though not going to be able to escape my reach.

"The meeting," Mia and Mase answered in excitement.

I grimaced. "That wasn't what I expected it to be."

"Cheer up, Rose. It wasn't all that bad," said Christian.

I glared at him. "It was _your_ aunt who used and abused my innocent daughter."

"She wasn't pushing for female novices to be used as breeders before being sent off to slaughter. That was Monica Szlesky."

"But she does want us to go hunting," Mase countered excitedly and pointedly.

"She doesn't want us rushing in and getting killed, either," retorted Christian.

A waitress came by, offering pink drinks I highly suspected were incredibly alcoholic. _Once_ , I would have taken one of the elegant crystal, sugar-rimmed glasses. _Now_ , I waved her on, gesturing to my daughter as the reason for my polite refusal.

"I could find you both a soft drink, if you'd like?"

"Water would be fine, thanks." I didn't trust anyone to not spike or mix soft drinks. Water, however, I suspected already-drunk people would assume was vodka or some other clear alcohol.

The waitress nodded and left. She seemed a little miffed and put-off despite her nice-enough manners. After pecking Jen's cheek I addressed Mason.

"You think that's a good idea?" I knew it wasn't, I just wondered what it would take for him to realise it. _I was starting to sound suspiciously like Dimitri again._

"I mean, what else are we doing? What are _you_ doing? You've got Jenée and kills, and yet Belikov _insists_ on you doing little more than laps. What's that doing for you? For the Moroi?"

 _What was it doing for me?_ It was making me fall even more in love with the man I wasn't supposed to have, it was making sure I kept fit and skilled while Jen was taught how to talk in a language I couldn't understand. Thus adding another reason to the list of reasons why I loved Dimitri so damn much.

"Leave my baby out of this," I warned. "Besides, we aren't ready."

Mia scoffed. "She has _everything_ to do with this, Rose."

"How much more can we learn in six months?" added Eddie.

"Jen has _nothing_ to do with this," I bit out. Dimitri and I wouldn't let her have anything to do with it. "And there's plenty to learn in six months. There's plenty to learn in one or two. Say they start with graduating us after field experience, who's to stop then moving trials back to the end of Junior? The end of Sophomore? Once it starts, where does it stop? We aren't ready."

Mason and Eddie shrugged. "I'm not afraid to fight. I could've taken on a strigoi as a sophomore. Jen certainly could take on a Strigoi when she's a sophomore."

I growled and lifted Jen out of the water. "I was pregnant with her as a sophomore when I encountered my first Strigoi. _We. Aren't. Ready._ _ **I**_ nearly died. _**She**_ nearly died. _**Liss**_ nearly died. _We. Aren't. Ready._ Even Dimitri wasn't ready when he first killed at nineteen." I extracted myself from the water, not missing the way Mason ogled after me. "We're getting a cup of water and leaving." I took Jen's hand and we carefully padded our way away from the pools to the side door I'd watched the waitresses disappear through.

"Watch it!" Jen exclaimed. A dude had nearly backed into us.

He didn't pay attention though, he was too focused on the guy on our other side. The one with a bloody nose. _Go figure,_ even stone cold sober and keeping an eye on Jenée and our hands locked together I manage to accidentally find my way into the middle of a fight. Dimitri was going to go ape-shit mad at me for this near-miss with Jen's life. Both these- surprisingly enough Moroi- men were drunk. _Yup. Dimitri was going to be mad that I'd brought Jen into this spa._ We were leaving in the next half-day or so anyway and it's not like I was being irresponsible and drinking myself.

"You're afraid!" yelled the guy that was closer to me. "You're all too afraid! What happens when all the guardians are gone?"

The guy closer to Jen wiped the blood off his nose before attempting to punch the other one. His blond highlights marked him as one of Tasha's opponents. _Andrew._ If I was right. "Listen to her and we'll all be dead! She's trying to kill us all!" I'd heard of irrationality and irrational fear but this was something else.

"She's trying to save us!"

"She's trying to corrupt us!"

"Now, Jen," I ordered gently. "Fire."

My daughter's hands lit up. The cat was out of the bag and both would be disappearing soon anyway. That blissful smile played on Jen's face. Both halted their attacks, their conditioned cowardice shining throw both bravados. Their jaws hung agape.

"Now, if you're done pointlessly fighting each other, the rest of us would like to return to the party." I gestured between them. "I don't care about either of your opinions, but what I do care about is that my two year old has more impressive control than both of you combined, and that says something because you're _both_ **at least** _ten times_ her age."

They shifted their stunned gazes to me. Then back to Jen. Then back to me again. She dropped the flame and the stunned-feeling wore off. They went at each other again. Jen and I got caught in the crossfire. But before we could get shoved away, the two froze mid-punch before wincing and stumbling backwards. I groaned. _Typical children._ Give them and inch and they'll take a hard. Though mine'll run a mile. _Evidently._ This was precisely why I didn't want to leave her behind when we went to my Qualifier.

The victim of Jen's that didn't end up in the pool was captured and pulled back by Mase. Andrew. When Mason went to punch him I pulled him away. It wasn't too hard. I was sober, he wasn't. He mightn't be drunk, but he certainly wasn't sober.

"Are you mad?"

"Huh?" he asked, scratching his head.

"Jumping into the middle of that?"

"You did too!"

I glared. "That," I spat, "was different. I'd almost diffused it. You jumped in for the sake of being seen as a hero to sooth your wounded pride over your delusions of killing Strigoi being called out as just that."

"Delusions, huh?"

"Yes. Now, if you don't mind, I have a daughter to rehydrate and take home and put to bed for the night." I tugged Jen away.

"Water for a wonder woman?" asked a voice I would be glad to be away from before I could enter the side door. Adrian shoved a glass of water- I knew it was water because it smelled and looked like nothing else- in my hand and steered Jen and I into a massage area where hotel staff were giving Moroi foot and back massages. If Jen didn't now have a bounty on her head I would have loved to send her off with Dimitri and get a massage... actually, sending her off with Mom while Dimitri gave me a 'massage' sounded like a better idea still.

I stood against the wall while Jen sat on the carpeted floor and leaned against it. I took a mouthful of water before sitting next to my daughter and offering her the rest. She guzzled it down greedily. I thought she was thirstier than she'd let on.

"Who was that guy that helped you? And here." Adrian handed me another glass of water while taking the empty one from beside Jenée.

"My friend. Though he wishes there was more."

"Mia was right-"

"Mia likes Mason. And besides, I'm taken."

Adrian smiled at me then at Jen. "By her father."

"Momma and Papa togefer?" asked Jenée. _Too innocent for this world._ Dimitri and I were doing the right thing by taking her away, hiding us all away.

"I thought you said you weren't into older men?" Adrian's brow raised.

"I'm not," I huffed automatically.

Jen looked confused but resigned while Adrian just shrugged it off. "Okay then. If you say so. Where's Vasilisa? I figured she wouldn't leave your side after collecting you."

"She's with _her_ boyfriend."

Normally I was fine with those two, tonight it just rubbed me the wrong way that they could have it all without fear of the consequences. I was also pissed at Christian. If he hadn't bloody touched the element in front of Jen then she wouldn't know how to access and play with it, so Tasha wouldn't have been able to use her at that meeting this afternoon and therefore we wouldn't be needing to run away and hide her so early. It was all Christian's fault I had to leave Lissa, all his fault his girlfriend's guardians were deserting.

"Does he treat her badly?"

"No. He's just a jerk."

"You're jealous," stated Adrian in a haughty manner. "Though I don't see why you're complaining. Unless her father isn't old enough for you to be seen together."

I ignored that. "Why are you always asking after her? You interested in her or something?"

He laughed. "Not in the way I'm interested in you."

"So you are interested. And as I've said, I'm taken."

"So you've said. Besides, I just want to talk to her." Before I could respond he left to fetch both me and Jen more water.

"We should go," I said with resolve. I shared the glass of water with Jen.

"But we haven't gotten-"

I cut him off. I hadn't the patience to deal with him any longer. "We aren't getting to know each other. I've got a baby to put to bed and if you _must_ pursue Lissa do it while I'm not here." I nodded to where she was stepping into the room. I might be sober but she'd drunk enough by now to send the bond buzzing, and blurring and fuzzy.

"Hey cousin, how'd you find her?"

Lissa sent him an incredulous look. "I checked all the rooms. I told you before the bond only works one way."

"How'd you know about that?" I demanded while tugging Jen away. They'd spoken about it far too casually.

"I can't reveal all my secrets. Not that that matters with this certain way you to react and behave around each other. It's just... cool. Like her magic. Rare. Unique. Interesting." He inclined his head toward Jenée.

I groaned. I would be glad to escape all this crap when Dimitri fetched us.

"We need to have a proper chat someday."

"Yes, we do." Her enthralled expression bothered me. _A lot._

Guilt surged up in me. I was leaving her when she needed protecting from her own kind... but then again, Jen was _the only one_ of her kind. Jenée Luca Hathaway had to come first. My mothering instincts had to win out over my guarding and best friend instincts. My baby came first. Even if she had twelve brothers and sisters, she still came first. _Always._ The guilt ebbed from me.

"You have a boyfriend," I reminded just before Christian too found his way in the room.

"We're getting ready to leave."

Neither Christian nor Lissa looked perturbed or guilty. What the hell? Clearly I was the last one to know everything tonight.

"It's okay, Little dhampir. She's just a cousin. Besides-"

"Not in front of my child!"

As my group returned to the main part of the lodge I was left I was left walking at the back with Mia on one side and Jen almost asleep on my opposite hip. One day soon she'll be too tall for this... my heart ached at the thought. _Definitely a good thing to escape._ Then I can give her a family. A real family, with siblings and cousins a-plenty to argue and play with and aunts a-bounteous to love her and babysit her and grandparents and great-grandparents galore to help mould her into the person she could be.

Mia looked horrible. Absolutely miserable.

"I'm sorry, Mia."

She huffed as we stepped out onto the main level of the lodge. "Don't pretend like you care." Her eyes swivelled from Jen's to a waiting Dimitri's. "Just make sure she always knows she's loved. By both her mother and father. Embrace the time you have with her because you can never know when you'll be next on the chopping block." Mia nodded at Dimitri, got a sleepily-returned hug from Jen, and smiled a traumatised but still understanding smile at me before following the group away. I smiled and sighed when she tugged on Mason's hand and he took her in his arms. She may be a pain and he may still have a chip on his shoulder, but she was safe with him. He'd make her happy. I just _knew_ it.

Dimitri took a wet Jenée from me and sighed. "What were you thinking going anywhere Ivashkov would invite you?"

"Don't get all jealous on me. Besides, I didn't drink anything but water. And I had to take Jenée because she couldn't go on shift with you. Besides, as far as I'm aware, that could be my last best memory with them."

His worried disapproval morphed into understanding and compassion while we walked back to my room. "I'm sorry, Roza. I forget you're surround by the type of people I never have been... I keep forgetting you're more than just mine and Jenee's."

I scoffed quietly. "What was Ivan if not your Lissa? Comrade, you've had plenty of people like that motley crew around you- you've got That motley crew too. I'm always going to be yours and Jenée's. Others can look after that lot. Hell! That lot can look after itself. Only we can look after her. Only we can look after ourselves."

I opened the door to the room I shared with Lissa and gestured Dimitri through. "Help me put her to bed?" I requested while starting the bath. We'd soon enough be doing this anyway... especially if I felt safe enough to give her a little brother or sister. A little brother would be more than nice...

"You sure, Roza?"

I chuckled and nodded to a passed out Lissa. "She won't be up again for a while. Besides, haven't you already put our baby to bed a few times?" I teased.

"Yes... but _we_ have never put her to bed together."

"If you want our family then _maybe_ it would be best if _we_ start..." I said suggestively.

Dimitri groaned quietly and his shoulders slackened. It was his sign of agreement and proverbial white-flag of truce. I checked his pants and smirked. I was too much for him to be able to resist. I hated being so cruel to him sometimes.

"I'll fix that... once she's hidden."

"You're a problem, Roza."


End file.
